A Fan Meets the Doctor
by FullWolfMoonGirl
Summary: A normal teenage girl who watches Doctor Who, meets the real Doctor. What will he think of this silly fangirl? And what can he teach her about herself? A perspective on how it might be if any one of us ever actually ran into the Doctor.
1. The Beginning

**Note: I'm working on some Eleventh Doctor stories these days, but I felt inspired by a friend to start this one a while back and intend to finish it soon.**

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I met the Doctor once. Actually more than once, but that's another story. No, no joke! Seriously! I know you'll all think I'm mad. I mean, he's a fictional British television character played by an actor. Nothing less, nothing more, right?_ Wrong._ And I'll tell you why, too. Oh, I didn't understand it at the time either. Believe me, I questioned my own sanity.

It was in early February 2008. In the show, they'd finished up with the Tenth Doctor in 'Voyage of the Damned' back in December, I believe. I was, along with other fans, eagerly awaiting the spring series to start back up. I knew the Doctor's next companion would be Donna, as I'd read up on the online spoilers about that. In reality, I was dealing with upcoming tests at school, a lonely upcoming Valentine's Day, and the usual hussle of every day life. School, chores, family arguments, errands, friends, the works. Oh, and I live in America. Not the Doctor's favored choice of places to be, but he stops here from time to time, as he does nearly every other place on Earth. But anyway...

Science fiction was a part of my down time, still is. Something I enjoyed escaping into. Not to mention I happen to adore the Doctor. What fan doesn't? But it wasn't like it was something I was so into that I'd have considered myself a crazed fangirl at the time. My how things change. Its funny how meeting someone you admire can turn you from nice and cool, straight into an idiot in a split second. But more on that later.

One late Friday afternoon I was walking home from hanging at a friend's house a few blocks over. I went into a convenience store to buy a soda on my way. Now, I can't say what happened next changed my world forever. But what it did do, was change my perception of it.


	2. Meeting The Doctor

This is what happened...

"So Destiny broke up with Jason, and David ended up cheating on her with Rachel!" My friend Bailey's voice chattered away in my ear. I listened half-heartily as I roamed up and down the isle's of the QT in search of something cool to drink. I cradled my mobile against my ear and reached out for a closed mini-fridge, when Bailey's voice rose.

"Emily! Are you even listening to me? Humph! This is only the most important news ever! It means Jason is free!" I ignored the fridge and pulled the phone away from my ear, glaring at it. She knew that I'd been all into Jason last year and crushing on him big time. I didn't want to make a fool of myself by slobbering all over him again this year. Sometimes being sixteen and in unrequited love sucks. Okay, unrequited love always sucks.

I was about to tell her off, when something caught my eye. At first I thought it was a kid in a costume. An ugly one at that. A short looking creature with an elongated head, and horn-like ears that pointed downwards. He was grinning and running right at me, knocking me off my feet.

My phone slipped and clattered to the hard floor as I fell. It shattered into pieces. That was the last time I trusted a phone company to sell me one of their 'best most reliable phones' ever. Sighing, I picked myself up and turned to glare at the boy, well I assumed it was a boy. How was I to know it was a Graske?! I hadn't seen that special yet. Even if I had, I still would have assumed it was a costume. "Hey! Its not Halloween kid!" But the boy was running and giggling insanely.

I chased after him. Oh, I'd do worse than tattle to his mother when I caught him! Okay, maybe not. I wasn't about to beat up some little brat. But I'd lecture him about being rude and knocking people over in stores!

I pursued. Chasing the 'boy' outside and down the street quite a ways, I realized two things. One, the 'boy' was rather strong. He'd run into me in the store at full speed, but still, he had the strength of an adult male. Two, I was heading in the opposite direction of my home and it was getting dark. Not a good combination of facts. I decided to give it up. I stopped to catch my breath.

It wasn't worth my time. I needed to just turn around and go home. I turned around and slowly started to retrace my steps. I was heading past a little closed shop when someone came barreling around the corner, running directly into me. And once more I found myself flying backwards and hitting hard ground. I had a feeling I was going to have some bruises when all of this was over.

"What, am I wearing a 'knock me over' sign?" I muttered. I've never been very good at humor, what can I say?

"No, but they do make shirts that say 'knock me over', made in New New York. Knock me over is a game show there. Its all the rage." A cheerful, and very British male voice piped up, and a hand came into my view. I hesitated briefly, then took it, allowing him to help me up.

New, New York? Did the guy have a stutter? "No they don't. They don't make shirts with signs like that," Why would they? Nobody wants to get knocked over. That was just dumb. "And theres no such game show." I would have heard of it. I was positive. "I was just being funny, only not." I gave him an odd look, but then froze, clinging onto his hand a bit too much for a few seconds until he gently tugged it free. His eyes fell on mine. Mine must have looked like some kind of spooked out circus freak because his were full of curiosity mixed with a little suspicion.

"Ah, funny, yes, well, good luck with that." He started to go around me. I reached out and tentatively touched his arm, but dropped my hand back down quickly, blushing. "You...You're David Tennant!" I blurted out.

That was it. This must have been some kind of scene! He'd come to America to shoot an episode of Doctor Who, that's what this was all about. Finally reassured, I smiled brightly, excited at the whole thing

The Doctor blinked. "Who? No, actually, I'm the Doctor."

I grinned. "Exactly! You're so the Doctor!" He blinked again, giving me a once over. "You're _the_ Doctor! Heehee!" I repeated, giggling weirdly. I wanted to shout 'I SO LOVE YOU! CAN I HAVE A KISS? But there was no way in hell I'd be brave enough to say either of those things. _Thank god._

"You know me?" He sounded suspicious once again. His long coat was just too much. I wanted to hug him! But I didn't dare.

"Of _course _I know you!" I said, playing along. Maybe I'd get picked as an extra on the show or something! "You're a Time Lord. You travel about everywhere and every _when_ in your TARDIS, saving lives as much as you can. And you love humans."

His eyes widened, his eyebrows shooting up, and he turned to fully face me. Before that, he'd been looking like he might run off at any moment, disinterested in me. But now I had his complete attention. I nearly squirmed under such sudden scrutiny. When you've got the Doctor's full attention, trust me, it makes things hard. Normally easy things, like breathing and talking. "And you are...?"

"Oh, I-I'm Emily. Emily Davis." I held out a hand to shake his properly. "Its so nice to meet you Mr. Tennant."

He shook my hand firmly, but the look in his eyes said he didn't trust me any further than he would The Master. "Again, I am the Doctor. Just the Doctor. I don't know who this Tennant is, but I do know who_ I _am. Usually. And so, Emily Davis, tell me this," He sounded so Doctor-ish I giggled and blushed again. He either didn't notice my giddy fangirl ways, or he was choosing to ignore them because he didn't react. "If you know so much, have you seen a Graske around?"

"A whatta?" I looked at him blankly.

"A creature ye high," He lowered his hand. "Gray skin, pointy downwards ears, looks a bit like a troll?"

"Oh! That boy who ran into me." I nodded. No reason to point out both had managed to knock me on my ass. "Yeah, he was headed that way." I pointed in the direction I'd given up my pursuit in.

"This is no boy. He's a pest, and I must catch him before he does any more damage." The Doctor looked around worriedly.

"Where are the cameras anyway?" I couldn't help finally asking. "Are you rehearsing or something?"

"Rehearsing for what?" Clearly baffled, the Doctor stared at me. It was lucky he was a guy who was used to not getting every question easily answered because I was too star-struck to really listen. "Well, good to meet you Emily Davis, but I must be off." Giving up on getting any instant replies from me, he started to jog in the direction I'd pointed him.

I slowly followed. "But...Where is the crew? Why no cameras? Aren't you in production?" I threw one question after another at him.

"This is no rehearsal, Emily. This is the real thing."

"You mean I'm on television?!" I ran to catch up, looking about me wildly. Where were the cameras? Since when did they film in secret while out in the public? It couldn't be easy to do that. Was I interrupting production? If I was, wouldn't security be stopping me? The whole thing was very confusing. But here was the Doctor. Right here! And he kept looking at me as if I were insane. It was obvious he was getting fed up with how weird I was being.

I couldn't stop until I'd at least asked for an autograph. But would that annoy him?

I caught up with him as he turned yet another corner. I grinned as I saw the TARDIS up ahead. "Oh, wouldn't it be something!" I murmured to myself, causing the Doctor to pause at the door to the TARDIS, and give me an inquisitive look. "Wouldn't what be something?" His key was in the door, his hand on it, but he was staring at me.

Which, I have to admit, made me super self-conscious. I was only wearing a plain blue t-shirt and blue jeans with old sneakers. My light brown hair was pulled back with a scrunchie and I always think my green eyes are way too beady. I looked in no way as classy and cool as he did. Plus, with his brains? Well, I had to look three times over the idiot I felt like. "Um..." I ran a hand over my shirt as if straightening it out. More like, as if I could magically turn it into something awesome looking like a sleek skirt or some cool looking jacket.

I forced my mind back to the matter at hand. "Oh, going up into space, traveling through space and time." I replied. If the TARDIS were real, I meant to add, but figured he knew that already. If only I'd known how wrong I was! I would have panicked a lot sooner.


	3. A Conversation With The Doctor

"Oh, you want to go on a trip?" He said bubbly, turning to open the door, but his impatient tone came next. "Well then, help me catch that nasty Graske and its a deal. Come on then." He said with a firm nod.

"Really? I can be on Doctor Who?!" I exclaimed excitedly, literally jumping up and down as the Doctor disappeared inside the TARDIS. His head poked back out, his brow furrowing. Thinking back on it, he looked mildly horrified.

"Just the Doctor. And, no. You can't be _on_ me. I've had enough trouble with girls. But you can travel with me. One trip only. _If _you help me catch that Graske." He went back inside, leaving the door open for me.

"Yay!" I giggled and followed him. Then froze. I looked around, wide eyed, my whole body trembling. "B-But...This was supposed to be just a box..." I knew the inside of the TARDIS was just a set. So what the hell?!

He didn't answer me as he fiddled with some dial on the console, looking at the screen, no doubt searching for the Graske.

I slowly stepped further in, whirling around and stepping out, to examine the situation. I walked all around the box, much as many others have done, then back in I went. I slowly made my way over to the console. Shaking, and with all my knowledge shattered, I said the dumbest thing ever. Oh, how I wish even now I could go back, rewind, and redo that moment and make something cool spit out of my mouth! But instead I found myself gushing. "Its bigger on the inside!"

The Doctor nodded, not looking up. I still bet he rolled his eyes just then even though I couldn't quite see them. "Yes, it is. But I thought you might already know that, Emily Davis, considering you already seem to know some things about me." He sounded almost accusing.

I stood there, in shock. The color drained from my face. I couldn't stop shaking. My mind was a mess. How could this be? I'd finally lost my mind! All the pressures of school and home and life in general must have made me snap! That was it. This couldn't be real could it? No. It was insanity! That was the only explanation.

"I'm not picking anything up. We may have to go it by foot to locate him..." The Doctor's voice shattered my thoughts, but I couldn't move, could barely breathe, much less respond. "You have any ideas where it might have been heading next?" He slowly glanced up at me when I didn't reply.

Worry crossed his face. He stepped away from the screen and reached out to lightly touch my arm. "Are you alright?" The softness in his tone made me realize I must have looked like I might throw up. So I mentally shook myself and nodded. "Yeah," I hugged my arms around myself. I nodded again. "Yes, I'm good, uh, Doctor. Are you..." I stared into his eyes. They looked warm, curious, suspicious and yet sincere. "Are you really the Doctor? This isn't some joke? How can you really exist..." I whispered this last part.

The Doctor's hand fell away and he nodded. "Yes, I am really the Doctor. No, this isn't a joke, not at all. Well, unless its on me. And I can exist just as much as you can. How do you know me, Emily?" His voice sounded demanding, yet calmly controlled.

"You'd never believe me." I blurted out, making him lift an eyebrow. "Its so insane, this whole thing! You being here and being real...Then again you _are_ real so you'd probably believe me because I mean...Ghosts and Daleks, and all the adventures you and Rose have gone on." His mouth fell open. "Oh, sorry about that by the way.." I added sadly. "I miss her too...Oh, and you and Martha, saving the world together too. I loved that. The Master was so wrong." I shook my head at the idea of what the Master had tried to do.

I gasped as the Doctor firmly grabbed me by my arms and gently gave me a shake. "How do you know all of this? Who are you really?" He demanded in a quiet, controlled voice, his eyes flashing. He seemed dark...Frightening. He didn't know if I were an enemy or not. He might have to destroy me, for all he knew. That thought terrified the hell out of me, I gotta say.

For the moment, I stupidly forgot there was no way he'd harm me. This was the Doctor after all! He always gave everyone a chance. Even if only one. Even if many of us think some don't deserve that chance at all. I had no weapons, had made no threats, I really had no reason to fear him. If we were in any sort of danger, he would try his best to protect me, not try to hurt me. It was just his way. But try telling your heart that when its thundering in your ears! Not so easy, I tell ya!

But in that moment, I lost all real reason, and believe you, me, if you were face to face with his fierce look, knowing he was capable of destroying worlds, you'd have freaked out too! I squeaked, bursting into tears. The truth be told, I'm highly embarrassed that I did that. I'm not much for tears. I don't think it was fear for much as the strain of this new reality washing over me. All the new facts crowding their way, trying to sort themselves out like some giant puzzle in my brain, were a bit too much.

The Doctor immediately let go of me and looked remorseful. "I'm sorry...Did I hurt you?" He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and bleeped it at me, running it over me. He looked at it then slid it back into his pocket and sighed, looking nearly as lost as I felt.

"No. I-I'm not hurt. Just...Give me a minute." I wiped my tears away quickly, forcing my brain back into gear. This was real life. The Doctor was real, for whatever reasons, and so I had to think on it. If he was real, other things, much more horrible, were real as well! I shuddered at the thought, earning me another concerned glance from the Doctor. He was used to strong, sturdy companions who were brave even in the face of danger. And now he had some blubbering teenager who was falling apart. No, it wouldn't do!

I wiped my face dry and forced myself to calm down. "Sorry. I'm okay. Really. Just...You startled me is all. I thought...You were fiction." I said carefully. He looked at me, puzzled. "Fiction? How can I be fiction?"

I sighed. "Here...On Earth. Well, at least where I'm from, _this_ Earth," I began, forcing myself to become accustomed to this newly perceived world. "You're a fictional character. People can read and watch your adventures on Television." The Doctor was staring, something registered in his eyes as I continued. "They've never been real...I didn't think...How could they be real...How can you be real?"

The Doctor grinned. At least one of us didn't seem shocked. "But, that's brilliant!" He exclaimed, startling me again, but this time I managed to hide it. "That's it!" He raised a hand and hurried back to the console. "I chased the Graske through a vortex I hadn't opened. Someone must have opened a rip in the Universe again. This is an alternate universe to mine." He nodded.

Well, I was glad one of us felt better at least. Too bad it wasn't me. "But...How is that even possible? I mean you're a fiction. A made up thing...Er..Person.."

The Doctor shook his head as he pressed a lever at the console, suddenly all motion and in full Doctor form. "No. Yes, but no. You see, in the multi-verse, and the Universe is technically made up of a massive amount of multi-verses, any and everything that can be and can cease to be, is. There are worlds where you and I never met. Worlds where you were never born, or died as a child, worlds where you're famous, where you might be a pianist or doctor. A world where you might even be a serial killer." He went on, ignoring my gasp at that. "For every second of your existence, it can change just sightly or dramatically, in another world. You might very well only be a thought in one world, while you're clearly as real as I am in another. Your world may see me as something created out of someone else's imagination, but in my world, I am very real. In your world I exist as entertainment, but in mine, if I weren't here, or rather, there, to stop many bad things from happening, the world would have collapsed long ago, destroying all worlds, including your own. You wouldn't have even known what happened."

This whole thing had my head spinning. I walked over to the console and leaned against it for support. "So...You mean really everything is real? I mean does that mean somewhere out there Charlie Brown, is walking around?" I asked, incredulous.

The Doctor chuckled. "Well certainly not in cartoon form, no, but in some other form, yes. Somewhere in another world Charlie Brown is walking around as real as you or I. A real live boy." I tried to picture a big bald headed boy wearing the same shirt always, but it was hard.

"And, but what about princesses?" I asked suddenly. The Doctor paused and glanced at me oddly, scowling. "Princesses? Princesses aren't real here?" He probed. I shook my head. "Yes, of course they're real, but I mean...I might be one, a real one, in some other world?"

He smirked. "Leave it to a human girl, with all the wonders in the universe at her fingertips, to first think of something like being a princess!" He sounded amused. "Yes, I'm sure you are. But that you, isn't really you, because you're you, and you can't be two yous at once, now can you? Are you understanding all of this?" Somehow, I did. I nodded.

"Now, we need to find that Graske and get him back to my Universe." I felt relieved. Relieved that such things were real, yet that they weren't really. It was nice to know they existed, but a relief to know they existed not quite in our own universe as we knew it. Because, frankly, as much as I love the Doctor, I know deep down in my heart, I couldn't take alien attacks and horrible monstrous killer creatures lurking out in the dark. And I told him so.

When I did, well...I wished I hadn't. Because I got a lecture and one I will never forget. Because it was a lecture the Doctor used to teach me that I had much to fear in this world. My world. The very real world.

"Its not so simple as that, Emily." He again stopped and faced me. "When you were little and ran to your mum and dad's room in the night to escape the dark, did you know and see something in that dark?" I shook my head no. "No, yet you knew something was there. You felt it. You felt the panic wash over you and knew instinctively that you must go to your protectors, your parents. Why do you think that is?" He paused as he searched for something in his coat pockets. "Some primal instinct to protect yourself from beasts in the night. It isn't all human killers, bears and wolves you need worry about." He paused after he said that, his eyes glazing over most likely thinking about Bad Wolf, but I didn't question him. I was scared to open up his painful wounds. After a moment he continued, an intense, serious look on his face as he stepped towards me.

"Just because your world hasn't experienced outer terrestrial visitations until now, doesn't mean you won't and can't in the future. If that Graske got through, and I did, don't doubt," He pointed a finger at me. "Not even for a _single_ moment, Emily, that other things, far worse things, can get through as well. Things you've read about and seen about me may be true, but there are other things, worse things, that you know nothing about. You don't want to deal with them, but you may very well one day have to. Never forget this is possible. Everything is possible, Emily. Don't let fiction fool you. It can become very real, very fast."

I nodded, trying not to panic again. I shuddered, goosebumps creeping across the backs of my arms and neck. My eyes were huge as I stared at him, but I didn't utter a word. It was like he was trying to prepare me for something. Maybe he was. He knew more than I, about holes in the Universe and the damage they can do. He kept on.

"Now, I'm going to capture that Graske. You can come help me if you like. Then I will give you a trip in the TARDIS and drop you back off here at your home after and be on my way. I will go back to my world and close this vortex for good. Hopefully not too many things have crept through since I've been here. Even being here this long is dangerous. Now, lets go." He turned and treaded out of the TARDIS.

I stood there a whole minute and a half longer, my mind still awash in shock of the whole ordeal. The Doctor didn't wait for me, nor did he try to hurry me along. He seemed to know I needed time to absorb all of this. But gradually I got my feet working again and raced after him. "Doctor! Wait for me!"


	4. How NOT to Impress The Doctor & Stuff

**Thank you for the reviews! Reviews are much appreciated. I hope you continue to enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it. I love a good fan meets the Doctor story, too. =]. Enjoy! **

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He wasn't waiting, but he was standing near a corner, peering around it. He didn't look at me as I moved up beside him and peeked around the corner. People were about on the sidewalks near the shops, looking annoyed. A few looked freaked out. One lady was gathering up her belongings, clearly having had them knocked out of her hands. Papers and garbage were strewn about. It looked like a block or more had been littered by some kind of wild party. The street lights were on, keeping the place bright at least. "He is nearby." The Doctor murmured thoughtfully.

My mind was still reeling at all of this. My heart was beating out a fast paced song as I looked around wildly, fearful that the alien creature might sneak up on me. I turned and spotted a large pile of neon green goo in the street. Its impossible not to spot this stuff even in the dark, trust me on this one. It also smells something like food left in the fridge far too long. Nasty. I eyed it and slowly walked over to it, kneeling down beside it. "What's this?" I questioned, glancing up at the Doctor as if he held all answers to all questions. Well, in a way he did seem to.

The Doctor glanced back and the green goo caught his attention immediately. "Ah, I wouldn't touch that." He gestured toward me and the goo. I'd been reaching out to touch it. I froze. "Why?"

"Well...That would be Graske excrement." I had to work at not gagging at this explanation and quickly got up, stepping away from the gross mess. "Ew! Oh my god! Ew!" I brushed myself off even though I hadn't gotten any of it on me. "That's disgusting!"

The Doctor didn't comment but examined the mess on the ground thoughtfully, bending to look it over. He held a hand over it and for one horrible moment I thought he was going to pick it up, or knowing him, taste it. "The Graske can't have gotten far. Judging by the heat it is emitting, this was very recent."

I wasn't even looking anymore. I was too nauseous to look. I did see something of interest though. A single short, yellowed street light off to the side between buildings illuminated something in motion. The creature was climbing a ladder on the side of a nearby building, heading for its roof. I tapped the Doctor's arm, not even taking my eyes off the creature. I wanted to make the Doctor proud. "There!" I pointed, feeling the Doctor's head turn to look first at me, then up at the creature.

"Alons y!" The Doctor headed for the ladder and started up it at a quick pace. I ran after him. He sure was a hard guy to keep up with! He was just as hyper as I always imagined! I should have realize a lot of running would be involved.

Its surprising the things you think of when you're with the Doctor. As I climbed up after the him, I found his red converse and over sized coat more appealing than ever before. They were like a trademark for him and a reminder of who he is and what he stands for. It was comforting. And you know what? The Doctor smells. Ooh, that came out wrong. I don't mean he stinks. I mean he has a scent. His own special scent. Its _good_! Amazingly a mixture of bananas and something I can't quite place. Something masculine, yet not too strong. It, too, is very comforting. Something about it makes you want to be closer to him. Or maybe thats my inner fangirl talking. Either way...You have to be pretty close to him, nearly touching him, to pick up the faint scents surrounding him, but its worth it.

I also couldn't help grinning to myself._ I'm with the Doctor. I'm climbing a ladder and going after an alien with the Doctor! _Such silly and insanely obsessive thoughts kept pouring through my mind. I wouldn't say them aloud. I have a little more class than that. Blah. No I don't.

"I'm with the Doctor!" I squealed as we neared the roof. "_The! Doctor_! And me! Together! Running after an evil alien!" I giggled. The Doctor paused mid-step to glance down at me. I couldn't read his expression, but judging by the way his brows scrunched up, and his mouth opened, he likely thought I was acting the part I always loathed to think about. Surely, someone he feared. The crazed fangirl.

Thankfully, he didn't comment and ascended to the roof. I blushed far too happily as he offered me a hand and pulled me fully up onto the roof. This time I was careful not to cling to his hand after I safely had my footing. But my face was still bright pink. Again, he had the grace to act like he didn't notice the blush. That, or he is as oblivious to girls' behaviors as I think. Which is entirely possible. I wish I could have read his thoughts on the matter, or gotten them, but the odds are, even if I'd have asked him straight out, he would have avoided answering, or given me a vague response.

The Graske was on the other side of the roof. Down below was a busy street, still lit up and full of people rushing here and there. The creature had a bag with him full of what looked like water balloons. "No! No no no no no!" The Doctor raced over and snatched the bag away from the Graske, glaring the little creature down. He sniffed the bag. "We don't _do _that. These are filled with Nitrous Oxide! Laughing gas! Now you're coming back with me before you cause any more trouble."

"Awww." The Graske glared up at the Doctor. "But I'm not doing anything wrong. Why should I go with you? I'm just out for a stroll!" It made a creepy giggle.

I approached him wide eyed and reached out, poking the Graske in the side. It glared at me as the Doctor spoke. I poked him again, and again, mesmerized by the fact that its flesh felt soft and mushy and that he jumped a little each time I poked him. It was a bit childish, I admit. But, it was fun! "Because," The Doctor continued. "You've ripped a hole in the fabric of time itself and if you stay here you'll continue to cause trouble until the hole opens so much it tears this and every world apart. Now, I know you're a trouble maker, but I also know you don't want to die. So you're coming with me, and Emily?" I glanced up. "Stop poking the Graske." He added without taking his eyes off the creature. He sounded tired, like a mother having to scold her child for running about the house screaming.

"Oh, uh, sorry." I stopped, clasped my hands in front of me, and stepped back. "Why, can it bite me or something?"

"He's a he, not an it. And no. Well...Yes, he can, but we don't poke someone just because they're a Graske. You wouldn't like him poking you, now would you?" He pointed out, making my face flush once more, this time in embarrassment. "Now, take her hand," He told the Graske, gesturing toward me. "And don't try anything." He warned, pointing his sonic screwdriver at the little guy. "Don't let go of his hand." He warned me. "Or he'll be off causing troubles again."

The creature muttered under his breath something I couldn't quite make out and grabbed my hand, squeezing it a bit too tight. But I didn't complain. I didn't want the Doctor to think I wasn't companion material. Whining about a sore hand surely wouldn't help me gain any respect with the Doctor. And I desperately wanted his respect. So far, I hadn't done a thing to earn it.

The Graske huffed, clearly annoyed that I hadn't cried out at how hard he was squeezing my hand. The Doctor did glance back. If he noticed the hold the creature had on my hand, he didn't mention it. Maybe he thought I deserved it for all that poking. Either way, he lead us off the roof via a door he used his screwdriver to open in the roof of the building. Down two flights of stairs and out another door, and we were safely on the ground once more. That sonic screwdriver is majorly handy. You get used to it as a happy convenience when the Doctor is around. I wish I had one.

I'd love to tell you we had some exciting and dangerous adventure on the way back to the TARDIS, but as it happens, the Graske behaved. I'd also like to say that he behaved because Graskes aren't as obnoxious as the Doctor would lead us to believe. But no, they're just as troublesome as the Doctor claims. Only I wouldn't find that out until later either.

A few minutes later the three of us were inside the TARDIS. "Right then," The Doctor was standing before the console. The Graske was sulking on the floor. I stood awkwardly near the Doctor, watching him and rubbing my hand. He turned to me. "You helped me find the Graske. I owe you one trip. Now where to?" He questioned, smiling at me as he readied himself in front of his beloved console.

I forgot my hand and smiled back brightly. I should have hesitated. I should have rethought the whole thing. But, I didn't. His own bright smile was too contagious to want to be away from it. "Oh! Can you take me to New New York? Just like you..." Took Rose. And Martha. His smile quickly faded. I flinched. "Um...How about the past?" I quickly suggested. "I always wondered what ancient Egypt was like!" That made his smile return. I sighed, relieved.

"Ah, well Cleopatra was a feisty one. That Mark Antony was okay I suppose, but he stole my favorite pair of loafers." He commented as he pressed a button and turned a dial, working his way about the console. "Ancient Egypt, here we come!" I grinned watching him.

This was just awesome! Except...Except I forgot three very important things about being with the Doctor. One of those things would be obvious nearly right away. The second would hit me when I returned home. The third would come much later.

The TARDIS whirred to life and I felt jolted about. I grabbed onto the side of the console for support and glanced at the jump seats. I'd always wondered why no one ever really used those seats when they were being tossed about, haven't you? Well, one trip with the Doctor cured me of that wonder. "Grab that lever! Quick!" He called to me from the other side of the console, pointing. I grabbed the lever he pointed to and the TARDIS steadied a bit. We were grinning at each other. The Graske made a 'humph' sound and pouted. I didn't even care. Let him pout.

Not only was it more exhilarating to be up front and center at the console, but the Doctor was also in need of help from time to time and any companion would want to be at the ready. Excellent reasons to not bother with the jump seats.

The TARDIS finally settled down and stopped. "There we are!" The Doctor moved over to the Graske first. "You'll stay here and behave or I'll hunt you down again and make things very unpleasant for you." He threatened the creature.

The Graske nodded eagerly. "Of course I won't do a thing, not a thing. Not me!" Obviously he was lying. I smirked and ran up the spiral staircase. The Doctor and the Graske looked after me curiously. I had a brief second where I worried the Doctor would think it was rude or an invasion of privacy, but I don't think he worries about things like that too much.

A few moments later I trailed down with a couple of belts. By the way, the Doctor's wardrobe is larger than any store I've ever been in! I got lost twice on my way back out! I used the belts to tie the Graske to the side of the staircase by his wrists and ankles. He didn't look too pleased about it.

"Are you going to let her do this to me?" The Graske whimpered pleadingly at the Doctor. "Its inhumane!"

"Oh, I don't think it'll hurt you. We won't be long." The Doctor was cheerful and didn't look concerned about the Graske's welfare. With that he dashed for the door looking back at me with an eager grin. Whose heart doesn't melt at that sight? I ran after him as he opened the door and stepped out. But there I froze in the doorway. This was that first important thing I'd forgotten. More than half the time the TARDIS doesn't end up where the Doctor tries to take it. How I forgot such a simple and obvious thing, is beyond me. I suppose I just got caught up in the moment. Who can blame me?

This was no ancient Egypt. I looked up into the sky and saw what I thought were two moons. One dark navy blue, the other blood red. "Two moons! Colorful!" I said, trying to hide the fact that I was freaked out of my head, stepping out onto an alien planet like this.

The Doctor was looking around, his voice soft and thoughtful. "Those aren't moons. They're suns. And what's more, they don't belong here." In the distance there were dome shaped buildings surrounded by thick, dark colored trees. From that direction, someone started screaming. "Let's go!" The Doctor took off toward the sound of the screams. I ran after him, trying my best to keep up. Suns were out of place, someone was screaming bloody murder, probably something dangerous and horrible was happening, and we were purposefully heading straight towards it. Yep, I was officially traveling with the Doctor.


	5. Losing the Doctor & Air Are Bad Things!

**Thank you for the reviews! They are much loved and encourage me to continue. Though I'll continue either way. Sorry for the wait on this chapter. Life gets busy, but I won't stop writing, no worries. =]**

**I updated with slight editing to fix a couple of things that were bothering me. Also, the next chapter will be ready soon! (Sorry for the extra edits. I just get annoyed with myself when I see too many errors.)  
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Keeping up with the Doctor was more work than I thought it would be. Seriously. Even if you're into running, which I never have been, if you have to run at a moment's notice several times within each hour or so, it gets to you after a while. My feet were starting to ache because I'd been in the same shoes all day. So, it should come as no surprise to you that I failed at keeping the Doctor in sight. He was at least a good block or so ahead of me when he disappeared around a building corner.

I could see where he went though. The ground was covered in a thick layer of sand so his shoes were easy enough to track. The world around me was bathed in a sickening blend of red and blue, which probably would have made a lovely purple except that the two colors refused to melt together. It was as if they were magnets being forced together and refusing one another. Most things were painted in a disturbing dark that I couldn't quite identify. It wasn't quite black, nor was it light. I couldn't point out any particular color as red or blue, yet I knew they were there and I could see hints of each in various places, soaking into every thing on this world.

The sand beneath my feet proved to be light enough to see the grains, but dark enough for me to question whether it was more blue or red. I was so focused on the strange blue-red light patterns in the sand as I followed the Doctor's prints, that I failed to notice something kinda important. I heard a huffing sound and looked up, startled. Startled is putting it mildly when I saw what was heading right at me.

Have you ever seen a wild boar? How about one the size of a small pony? With fangs. And a long tongue hanging out of its mouth. Yeah, tell me about it. The boar like creature was one that, even in this odd light display, seemed to practically glow bright neon green. A lot like Graske excrement, come to think of it. Needless to say, I screamed.

For the third time in the same day, I found myself flying backwards. Grateful that at least, this time, the sands of the ground softened the blow of my fall. I fell with an 'oomph', my hands out in front of me protectively, rather than behind me to help with my fall. I was more worried with the neon boar like creature than hurting myself in a fall. My entire body fell flat as the creature's head butted me in the chest, knocking me to the ground. I was about to try to roll out of the way, when I saw I was too late. There was no way. The creatures front clawed hooves were now on either side of my shoulders. How had he gotten to me that quickly?! For a big, awkward looking thing, it sure could move fast! Whats more is I felt its back hooves up against my thighs and his large oversized belly was against my own stomach, pinning me to the ground.

I gulped and stared up at the creature. "Oh god, please don't eat me!" I yelped, my hands on the creature's chest. Its dark eyes glared down at me. A strange sound escaped its mouth. Something between a growl and a bark is the best way to describe the sound.

This was it! Of all the ways to die, I was going to be eaten! And by an alien, no less! Where in the _hell _was the Doctor? Shouldn't he have been swooping in to save me right about now? Of course, the Doctor always came, right? Except, sometimes he didn't. And sometimes he came too late...

All of these thoughts and many more ran through my head as the creature's mouth opened wide and his head dipped down toward my own, fangs glistening. "No! Please!" I pleaded, turning my head to the side and closing my eyes tight. If I was going to die, I was going to die a coward because there was no way I'd watch him eat me alive.

I felt something warm, wet and soft against my cheek and shielding hands, a slurping sound came with it. This was it. He was tasting me before he moved in for the kill. Then I felt it again. And again. Why no pain? Where were the teeth? I slowly dared to open my eyes and turned to look. The creature was licking me in an almost affectionate way. Like a dog might.

I couldn't help giggling. More in relief than anything. "Oh thank you, you big, fat, ugly...Whatever you are!" I practically hugged the creature as I started to wiggle to try to break free from underneath his weight. "Move, uh, boy. Move now." I reached a hand up to stroke it under its chin. It seemed to like this, making a mewing type sound. "Thats a good boy, now, um, shoo?" He didn't budge. This was when I noticed something. The light from above. The two suns. I stared at them. I could see swirls of blue light and gasses in the blue one, and red swirls in the red one. Something about that felt important. I made a mental note of it.

I wiggled and squirmed and after a good ten minutes managed to crawl out from under the boarish creature. "I don't know what you are," I said as I stood up and dusted myself off, the creatures tongue and tail were both wagging as he watched me. "But thank you for not eating me! And you'd made a great giant paperweight." Hey, I did warn you, I don't crack jokes all that well! I turned and looked around until I found the Doctor's footprints again.

I started to follow. And the creature followed me. I looked back at him. "Okay. Go. Shoo. Go home!" I flapped my hands at him, hoping he would leave, but he didn't. With a sigh, I turned back and headed after the Doctor. Where was he anyway? Hadn't he noticed his guest had gone missing? Wasn't he at all worried? I felt a little hurt that he hadn't even bothered to come back and look for me. Sure, he'd gone running as soon as some stranger screamed, but me? Nope. Nothing. Wouldn't you feel a little upset at that?

I finally made it to the dome shaped buildings and walked now, not bothering to run or even jog. I walked around one building then another until I came to an end to his exact footprints. Well shoe prints. Where his ended, a bunch of others began. Marks that ran in lines and tracks marked the ground, a few deeper marks seemed to me like something you'd see in some old western when the cowboys got into some kind of a scuffle. It was then that it occurred to me that it was entirely possible the reason the Doctor didn't come looking for me was that he couldn't. Maybe he was the one in trouble after all. I'd been so busy worrying about myself, I didn't even consider that the Doctor was vulnerable and easily hurt possibly even more so than myself since he willingly threw himself into danger at every turn!

"Doctor?!" I called, trying to make sense of the marks. I glanced back at the boarish creature. It was looking at me and had stopped a couple of feet away respectfully. "Oh where did he go, Bubba?"_ Bubba._ That hadn't actually been a name choice, just the name that seemed to come to mind when I thought of the big creature. Bubba blinked at me. I shook my head. "I don't know either..."

I tried to follow the track marks that seemed to veer off from the middle of several domes, to one in particular. I walked over and took a deep breath. What was in there? The door was shaped like an arch. It didn't have a handle. It had a small plate that was lit up bright with grooves in the shape of a hand in it, well I assume it was white, even though it looked a sickening brown in this light. What was inside here? Was the Doctor okay?

I placed my hand in the grooves and the door slid up, leaving the archway opened for me. I stepped in without letting myself think of what might happen. Inside the modest sized dome building was what looked like a long thin carpet leading up to a....Throne? I stared. Nobody was in here. But I noticed two rooms off to the side. "Doctor?" I called again, this time softer. The room was free of the weird blue and red. It was bright white inside with that strange mauve colored carpet and plush looking throne. Not much else was in there. The rest of the room was fairly solid white.

"What are you doing there?!" A voice made me jump. From one of the rooms a man stepped out. He had short blond hair and piercing blue eyes. I considered running, but he looked more curious, less threatening as he stepped towards me.

"Um, I'm Emily. And I'm looking for someone called the Doctor...?" From behind him three more people came. A little boy and girl of nearly the same age were holding hands as they peeked at me from either side of the man. A woman stepped up behind them. All four of them had blond hair and those same intense blue eyes. A beautiful family, I mused. They were dressed in colorful robes that looked made of satin.

"The Doctor?" The man looked back at his wife and she leaned forward to whisper something to him. They turned their gaze back to me. "You are a stranger here." The woman spoke up, a small smile playing on her lips. "That is simply not allowed. All guests must have permission of the King and Queen to visit Patrival Regency Nine." She informed me.

That name rang a bell. _Wait._ _I know that name! _That plasmavore in the episode Smith and Jones was killed for murdering the Regency's princess. She'd been described as having blond curls and rosy cheeks. Now, I wondered if that were just the way all citizens of this land looked. Then I realized they were staring at me and I wasn't invited here.

"Uh, sorry. I came with the Doctor. I'm just looking for him is all. If you see him around, please tell him Emily is looking for him. We heard screams you see..." They didn't look as if they were in any big hurry to tell me anything even if they knew anything. So I slowly backed out of their house and stepped back outside. The door slid shut after me. But then, I had to wonder. Why did it let me in, in the first place?

I was at a complete loss about what to do. I was lost and alone on an alien planet. Did the Doctor even care about that little fact? Probably not. I was an annoying fangirl who had practically drooled over him. He'd only brought me here because he felt he owed me it for helping him with the Graske and probably so he could warn someone in my world about the dangers that were around. I didn't even stop to consider if we were in his universe or my own at this point. It did occur to me that had he taken me to his own, it would probably make the hole in the Universe even bigger so it was doubtful. Which meant this planet was in our own. Which meant it was really real. Which is something I never did dare ask. I didn't want to know the truth of it. Not that any of it mattered at the moment. Especially now that I was trapped on an alien planet all alone.

Bubba had plopped down on the ground and tilted his head at me. I smiled at that, reaching over to pat him on the head. "Good boy. But I need to find the Doctor..." My smile fell and I turned to head for the next dome. Until I saw something else. A trail of some dark liquid on the ground. Something about it made my stomach hurt. I couldn't tell the exact color in the suns light, but I could tell that the liquid was rather thick. In droplets splattered about.

I followed the small droplets around another domed building. There were strange shadows dancing on the walls of the building. People. I grabbed onto a wall and leaned around to look. Three blond men stood around a body. The droplets were blood! I bit my lip to keep from making any noise. I couldn't make out what they were saying but the body wasn't a blond. A dark haired young woman lay out with what looked like some kind of dart pierced through her chest. I winced. She was unmoving. She had probably been the one who had been screaming. She was dead. I didn't let myself think too hard on this. Too much thought of the fact there was a dead girl over there would be too much.

A dead girl. Suns out of place. An alien world. So where was the Doctor? I saw that many trail marks were on the ground and it would be impossible to trace his steps now. I was in the middle of this...Town, I suppose it was. The three people hovering over the body didn't look guilty of murder. Nobody held any sort of weapon. So I dared step out from my hiding place.

"Excuse me..." I said in as gentle a voice as I could muster. I didn't want to startle them.

The three mens' heads whipped around and they stared, open mouthed, at me. I stepped forward and one of them did as well. "You do not belong here." Even as he said this, he didn't look the least bit threatening. They seemed like such a peaceful species. So why was somebody dead?

Well, be careful how you decipher situations. Something that looks completely harmless may be anything, but. And never assume anything around a dead person is harmless. That was a giant mistake I made.

I approached the men, the first one in the lead gave me an innocent, wide eyed, curious look. "You do not have the King and Queen's permission to be here." He stated, again not sounding as any type of authority might. Merely as if he were questioning me.

"Well, I haven't met them yet." I offered. "Whats happened here?" I pointed at the girl. The man was quicker than lightening. His hands cuffed around my wrists in the blink of an eye. The other two were suddenly there as well, one grabbing me about the waist, the other slipping his hands around my neck. "What are _doing_?!" I shrieked, pulling roughly to try to get free. Major dread filled me, along with my adrenaline. The man gripping my wrists let go. He had only been holding onto me to assure I stayed in place for the others.

The one with a grip around my waist, tightened it as I started to try to shove and kick them away from me. The one who had my wrists now helped fend off my hands and legs. "You do not belong here." One of them simply replied. "Then I'll leave!" I agreed quickly, trying to twist out of their grips. The hands around my throat tightened, cutting off my air supply.

Now, I don't know if you've ever had someone try to strangle you before. The odds are in your favor that you haven't. But if it ever happens, I promise you this, you won't immediately even consider what is really happening. You just can't believe with how alive and fine you feel otherwise, that you could die from lack of oxygen.

Even if your feet are hurting and you've seen a dead body along with three suspicious people hovering around it. Even if one of those people wraps their hands around your neck and starts to squeeze. You still can't quite believe it. You know all that stands between you and your next breath are his fingers loosening. It seems so simple. Too simple. Its easy to over estimate how much time you have.

I know this because I used up all of my energy trying to hit, kick, and wiggle free, rather than trying to at least tug his hands loose enough for me to grab a breath. It didn't seem like much time had passed at all. Surely, I had plenty of time to breathe. But even as I blindly punched at chests and faces, kicking to aim for groins that I could no longer see, my vision was blurring. The corners over my vision drawing in. Spots speckled my sight. I couldn't feel pain. Just the deep need to breathe like nothing else. I wanted air more than I have ever wanted anything in my life. In those last moments, the only thing that mattered was air and my inability to get it.

I would have probably killed someone to get a breath. It was_ that_ desperate of a feeling. You don't ever want it, trust me on this. I wouldn't wish it on a single soul.

I couldn't beg, couldn't plead, and couldn't break free. What was troubling, though of course not anywhere near the kind of troubling as not being able to breathe, were the men's faces. None of them held any anger, any aggression. They were all quite serene, as if they were having a nice chat, not strangling an innocent girl to death!

But this was not my last thought. Oh, I did think of the Doctor as well. Of how he was. Where he was. Maybe he was already dead. Maybe this was the end for the Doctor as well. Maybe he was alive and would stumble across my corpse. Another person to mourn. Another death to heal from. Like he needed that.

But my final thought was merely a desperate struggle for air and how to obtain it. And then? Well, then everything went black.


	6. Courage

**Thanks! With how many great writers there are here on , I'm always flattered when anyone decides read something I've written. I am working on the next chapter and hope to have it ready in a decent amount of time. Enjoy!**

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The first thing I became aware of was the sound of breathing. It wasn't just any breathing. It was panting. Fast, heavy, hard. A growl caused me to jerk into a full upright position. I was on the ground. I sat up and my vision swam. I clutched at my head, blinking furiously. My thoughts were rushing back to me as I sat there. Three blond guys. A dead girl. The Doctor missing. Me being strangled. _Wait. Me being strangled! _Was I dead?! My sight was returning far too slowly for my liking.

Finally the domes came into view in the not so comforting mixture of red and blue suns' lights decorating everything in their bizarre non-blending of colors. I stared at the world around me, my mind going back to blank. My throat hurt. It was hard to swallow. Raw and sore. Frightened and beyond traumatized, I looked around and spotted Bubba. He stood beside me, facing away from me, looking fierce. His haunches raised. Where were the three guys? I saw pieces of clothing in tatters nearby. I slowly got to my knees and crawled to them. Bubba loped over to me and licked the side of my face. I tried to speak but my voice came out as a hoarse rise of air and nothing more.

I picked up a piece of the clothing, holding it up to examine it. I know it seems strange. I was just nearly strangled to death and I wasn't even crying or trying to run for my life. But at this point my body was still trying to adjust to the fact that I was alive. It hadn't even had time to kick my emotions back into working gear. I was running on pure survival instinct.

Judging by the jagged rips in the clothes, it looked like someone or ones had been on the losing end of Bubba's fangs. The pieces fell together in my mind. I couldn't be certain, but it seemed to me that my new pal the ugly boar looking Bubba had just saved my life! Maybe he'd seen the guys attacking me and didn't like it so much. He was a monstrous looking thing, yet he reminded me of the Doctor in how he didn't seem to care for violence. Otherwise I had a feeling he would have done more than rip clothes from those guys. There were no blood stains on the clothes or anywhere near me. He could have killed them, but he didn't.

"Good boy." I was able to rasp out, leaning over to pet him. His skin was soft and smooth, covered with a very thin coat of short fur. I hadn't even noticed that before. His big dark eyes looked eager, his tongue shaking as he panted happily at me. The threat gone as far as he was concerned. The men had retreated, I guessed. But as for Bubba, never would I in all of my life, expected something that looked so big and dangerous, to be so friendly. Judging by appearances is almost always a mistake.

How long had I been unconscious? Probably only a few minutes going by the growl I'd heard when first waking up. It meant the men likely hadn't gotten far yet.

At this point, my emotions started to kick in. The shock was wearing off. It took me a minute, but I managed to push myself up to my feet. I felt the most confusing combination of elation and terror! I was alive! That alone was enough to cause bursts of happy to ripple through me. At the same moment, looking around, terror gripped my heart like nothing ever had before. I was on an alien planet, lost, with no way of knowing what to do, where to go, and I was alone. Lets not all forget the fact people had tried to kill me. That alone was enough to drive me into a blind panic if I let it. I couldn't let it though. Not if I wanted to survive this.

But the Doctor had to be somewhere. I couldn't let myself dwell on the idea of his demise. If he were dead, I still needed to know about it. Why were these people trying to kill anyone who looked different then them? Were they prejudice? That must have been it. Anyone who wasn't perfectly pale, with blond hair and blue eyes, was in serious danger of death. The Doctor wouldn't let them get away with this!

"Well Bubba," My voice was coming a bit stronger now, but still hoarse. "We need to find the Doctor." Now that I knew what he was capable of, there was no way I would let Bubba out of my sight! He could protect me from these sick prejudice freaks!

Suddenly, bright lights washed over the sand. I squinted, looking up. Several large spotlights were shining all through out the town. Like giant, tall streetlights. That was weird. Then again, what wasn't weird anymore. I was redefining weird on a minute to minute basis.

An ear-piercing whistle sound made me wince. I heard a loud whine and spun around in time to see Bubba sprinting off. "Bubba!" I cried, staring after him. "Wait! Don't leave me?!" I pleaded with the creature as he, with surprising agility, raced away from the domes into the thick of trees that were on either side of the town. The noises and lights must have frightened him. The whistle died away. I heard voices and jerked my head.

To the right were those men again, only they had new robes on, just as decorative as the others. Paisley type designs in bright colors some of which I couldn't fully identify. I noticed one was clutching himself, bent slightly over, grimacing. Had I done that? I felt a satisfied smirk slide onto my face. Served him right!

The men weren't alone. A few women and other men had joined them. They were exiting a dome and heading towards me. Walking, not running. I wasn't reassured. They'd done that on purpose, I concluded. Sounded some loud noise and plastered the place with lights to scare Bubba off. Now would be a good time to run. Which I did.

I took off as fast as I could, running not nearly fast enough in my opinion. I didn't dare glance back. I could hear foot falls trailing after me. I headed back in the direction of the TARDIS. If I could just get back to the TARDIS all things would be well. Or so I convinced myself. How anything could be well when people tried to kill me and the Doctor was still missing, was beyond me. But I clung to that hope as I ran for all I'm worth.

I wasn't aware of time. I wasn't aware of pains. Of my old life. I wasn't some high school girl worrying about the next test. Hell, I wasn't even the girl who was still in shock over the fact that The Doctor was a real man. None of that mattered now. I was just a person running. All that was, was here and now. The sound of my heart beating. My breath heaving. My feet padding on the ground. Getting to the TARDIS. That was all I wanted. All I needed was to survive.

I saw it. In the distance the blue box sat as calming as ever. A stoic and welcoming friend. I almost smiled at the sight of it. But getting there was another matter. I couldn't tell if anyone was still following me, nor did I want to look back and find out. It would lose me running time and I didn't want to know if I could afford to do that.

It felt like those dreams. Where you're running and running but can't seem to get anywhere. It took far too long before I flung myself at the blue doors and yanked hard. To my delight, it opened. Maybe, just maybe, the Doctor was here! And maybe he left the TARDIS unlocked for just such emergencies.

I shoved the door open wide and stumbled in. I slammed the door shut behind me, not bothering to look and see who might be coming as I looked at the door. I wasn't at all sure how to lock it, but I remembered the TARDIS was a smart ship. It knew not to let people in who didn't belong. People who were hostile in particular. Still, I backed away from the door, watching it for a long few minutes.

When nothing happened, I sighed. I turned around searchingly. "Doctor?" I called, running over to the console. I glanced over at the stairs and my jaw dropped. The belts lay in tatters and the Graske was nowhere in sight! Where had it gone?!

For once, I wasn't worried about my safety, but about whether or not I'd find a way to pummel the creature to death if he annoyed me too much. "Where are you, you Graske?!" I called out. Naturally, he didn't answer me. Why would he? Was he even still here?

I didn't have time to worry about that just now. I needed to find the Doctor. He might be in danger. "Doctor? Anyone?" I decided for a quick look around the TARDIS. Which, took a lot longer than you would think. I may have been in there a good half hour before I shuffled back to the main console.

What were my choices here? I could stay in the TARDIS and hope that the Doctor would come soon. I knew his TARDIS had some emergency programs but no clue how to trigger any of them. Should I wait it out and hope that either he returned or the TARDIS returned me home? Could I really live with myself waiting around in the TARDIS knowing the Doctor might be in trouble? What if I got sent back and the TARDIS died in my backyard or something? How could I live with myself knowing he was dead? I couldn't.

I went through an array of emotions. Denial being a big one. Maybe my mind truly had snapped. Or even if it hadn't, did it matter? The Doctor was a fiction here. I could just ignore this whole thing and wait for the TARDIS to take me home and go back to my life and enjoy fiction as it is, fiction. Without having to worry about any alternate realities that might or might not exist in. Thoughts of home were extremely comforting.

I thought of my parents. My brother. My friends. Even my school! I thought of my bed and how my rose colored bedspread with its pretty white lace along the bottom would be something I would have given anything to see again. To be able to throw myself onto my bed and worry about school, friends, chores and regular things I'd taken for granted, would be like being handed the best birthday present ever! I wouldn't have minded a hug from either of my parents. Hell, I'd even be thrilled to pieces to see my annoying kid brother!

But I could no longer cling to denial. Everything was too sharp and painful to not be real. I couldn't abandon the Doctor even if the TARDIS did take me home. I had to help him.

As terrifying as almost dying is, I had a strange sense of calm. I think it was still my body trying to cope with all of the physical and emotional traumas. Then again, it may have been that I'd made a decision. Sometimes making a decision is harder than the follow through.

The decision to go after the Doctor. That was all I needed to make me feel okay again.

I couldn't very well go back out there unarmed. I glanced around, looking for anything that might help. I spotted a rather large looking hammer hanging under part of the console. That might do. These people had darts. They had hands. They didn't seem to have guns. If I just kept a distance from them, then I should be okay.

I took the hammer and held it firmly. I walked over to the TARDIS doors and waited out a few slow, steady breaths. I last saw the Doctor headed for the domes. That was where he had to be. If I needed to search each and every one of them myself, I would. And I'd find him, I told myself determinedly. Because now I was feeling something else. Protective.

All of this time I'd been expecting the Doctor to look after me. To protect me. But now I realized I could take pretty damned good care of myself. Save for a little help from odd neon glowy creatures. Not only that, but him being here just for me wasn't what I really wanted anyway. What I wanted was for him to be here for everyone. To go on saving worlds. Being the hero. Being the amazing man we all know him to be. He was bigger than me. Bigger than any one person. He was so much more. And that these people dared threaten him filled me darkly. I was angry.

I pushed the TARDIS door open and stepped out. Once it was closed, I didn't look back. I couldn't or I might just run back in and never be able to force myself back out again. Because make no mistake about it, having courage doesn't mean being without fear. I was terrified!

You wouldn't believe the strength you can draw on from within yourself. You may think you'd hide away in the Doctor's wardrobe, sobbing and begging for anyone to take you home. Eh. Yeah. Sadly I did consider that option. But in the end, I didn't do that and you wouldn't either. Even if you think yourself one of the biggest cowards ever, something about being here not just with, but _for _the Doctor, brings out in you, your hidden qualities. Those strengths you never needed before so you never knew you had.

I felt like a lone warrior. Something within me was awake. It didn't matter if people threatened me. It didn't matter if they were aliens. It didn't matter their reasons. It didn't even matter the dangers. I wouldn't go down without a fight. I was going to find the Doctor. And if he was in any sort of trouble, I would do all I could to help him. In that moment, even if it was just for that moment, I really believe I was as true a companion as any.


	7. Found!

You guys are great! Thank you for the reviews! Several of you are refreshing and insightful. All of you are encouraging! I can't address every comment, as that would take up too much of each chapter's space. But you are all loved! I _will _answer questions, or try to though. Dervs asked a question. The answer is no, I didn't know there was a character named Emily in a Tenth story that is out. I just tried to choose a nice, but simple name that worked. I don't feel this is my best chapter, but I'm battling a bit of writer's block lately so I did my best. I'm hoping I'll break out of the block soon. Oh, and thank you guys, my mother is doing much better!

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I expected a mob might be waiting for me either right outside the TARDIS or directly within the town. To my amazement not a soul was in sight. Just land, domes, and myself. I wondered mildly where Bubba might have gotten off to. Would I ever see him again? I felt attached to him like one would a lost dog they found. I couldn't worry about him right now though. There were much bigger issues.

The walk back to the dome-filled town was faster than the run away from it. Surprisingly fast. I found myself trudging along and standing before the first domed house I'd entered. The one with the strange family who, probably like everyone else in this bizarre world, seemed to think my not belonging was a kill-worthy offense. I briefly considered and rejected knocking on the door. Instead, I shifted the hammer to one hand firmly and placed my other on the lit plate beside the door. I had my doubts as to whether or not it would work a second time. The door slid up, opening immediately for me once more.

I was about to step inside when I heard a footstep behind me. I quickly turned around, the hammer raised and ready to beat on anyone who might try to hurt me again. A few feet away a little blond haired girl stood, tugging at her bottom lip with a finger. She stared up at me wearing that same solemn expression all of her people often wore from what I could tell. Even though she looked so tiny and vulnerable, I didn't let my guard down for a second. I gave her a fierce look as I marched over to glare down at her. "Where is the Doctor? Tell me now!" My voice was rising.

The little girl stopped tugging her lip as she looked up at me with big, unblinking eyes. "You do not belong here. You must not be." Her voice was so sweet, I wouldn't have been shocked to see syrup dripping from it. I was beginning to understand just why that Plasmavore hadn't been remorseful for going after one of these freaky little blonds. It was enough to make me scowl. "Yeah, yeah. I don't belong here. I'm not allowed. I need permission. Blah, blah, blah I don't _care_! I'm not leaving until I find my friend! So tell me where the hell he is before I do something violent!" My voice was rising. I'm not one for follow through with that kind of thing, but actually making the threat is another thing all together.

"Aww, now...Emily. Is that any way to talk to a six year old? Making threats? And with a mallet. _My _mallet." The Doctor's all too welcoming voice gently admonished me. I whirled around to see him leaning against a nearby dome and watching us. He looked a mess. His suit and coat covered in a thick layer of dust, his shirt tail hanging out, and one of his shoes was untied. His hair was also pretty ruffled and he had what looked like a bruise on his cheek. Or maybe it was just more dirt.

I immediately dropped the mallet. No wonder it was so heavy. I'd assumed it was some large hammer. And it figured. When I least expected to find the Doctor, he found me.

Stunned, I ran to the Doctor, flinging myself at him. Not in the least bit gracefully, I might add. When you're alone on an alien planet and the only familiar and friendly person vanishes, even if you weren't comfortable enough for a hug before, when they reappear, its all you can think to do! At least it was _my_ first instinct. I hugged him tightly, probably too tight, but he didn't complain. I felt his arms slip around me, hugging me back. It didn't feel as if he were just humoring me. The hug was genuine. I could feel he was happy to see me alive and well too. That is something to be said about the Doctor. He isn't one to end a hug first. No, I don't think it has anything to do with romance or love. Don't worry, I was under no illusions about his feelings for me. I was merely a human girl he barely knew. I think his huggable-ness (I don't care that isn't a word), has everything to do with the fact he's lost so much in his life that he appreciates something like a hug more than most of us. So he kept hugging me until I finally let go of him. Then his arms fell away from me as I stepped back.

"Doctor! Oh, my god, are you okay?! I've been looking for you everywhere in this creepy Village of the Damned place! There's a dead girl, did you know? They killed her! I think all because she's not a blond! What about us? We're not blonds! We're so gonna die! I think we should leave? And what about poor Bubba, I don't want to leave him here, they might kill him too!" I yammered on until I saw his eyebrows rising. Finally I shut up. "Sorry." I muttered, calming down.

"You have a lot to say, don't you Emily? Don't go wasting it all in one place. Not that I can talk about talking too much, mind you." Especially since he followed it up with a steady stream of responses. "Yes, sorry about that. I got...Detained. They wanted me dead. I wanted to have a sit on one of those nice looking thrones. They didn't make me dead, but I didn't get to have a sit." He sounded like a sulking school boy. "This is hardly the Village of the Damned. They don't have that kind of power here. Yes, I did see the dead girl. Yes, they did kill her, but no, not because she's not a blond." He looked at me oddly as he said this, causing me to pause. Okay, so maybe I'd jumped on that whole prejudice assumption a bit quick. "I don't think we're....Bubba?" He interrupted himself, staring at me. "What's a Bubba?"

"Um." How to explain Bubba. "He's big! He's like a boar only bigger with fangs and stuff." This earned me quite the look. A priceless one. The Doctor clearly had never heard of such a creature before. "Oh, and he's fuzzy all over his body. And he has a long tongue. I don't want them to hurt Bubba."

The Doctor kept looking at me as if I'd sprouted wings. "Okay." He accepted simply. "Well...I'm sure Bubba is...Busy being Bubba, but for now, we really need to find the power source." He was nearly frowning, with a far away look in his eyes.

"Power source of what? What are we talking about?" I was feeling calmer and calmer by the minute even though I had no real reason to other than the Doctor was safe and here. It was as if a burden was lifted from my shoulders. So much for playing the heroine. I should have known he could manage without me.

"The power source that has forced the suns into their sky and warped their motivations. Used to be, this planet was a peaceful place. They welcomed strangers with open arms. They don't even lock their doors nor raise their voices to their children." He was rubbing the back of his head thoughtfully. "But the source behind those suns is effecting their minds. Twisting the way they handle keeping their planet peaceful. The suns themselves are effecting the life of the planet..." He was murmuring more to himself now than to me. "There aren't too many power sources that can move suns in this way. I've been trying to find out when this all started to happen. The villagers had their own ideas. They wanted to kill me. They're not the first, and by all rights won't be the last, but," He once more interrupted himself. He seemed to be staring down at my shirt with an intense look.

"What?" I looked down and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He reached out a hand, his fingers gently sliding across part of my neck. I shivered as he examined my skin with warm fingers. I looked up at him, my cheeks slightly pink. He was now fully frowning. "What's wrong?" I asked, forgetting completely why exactly his touch currently hurt.

"These marks and bruises in the shape of fingerprints are-" I felt so flattered that he even noticed and cared, my cheeks grew a darker pink and this time I interrupted him. "Terrible," I said almost shyly. I expected him to grow angry at the abuse I'd taken. "These three men tried to strangle me! They looked so innocent but then they grabbed me and it was_ really _scary! They started-" He stopped me this time, his voice calm, but curious. "They're glowing..." So much for flattered.

"What?" Startled I tried to look down at my neck, but couldn't. "Glowing? How? Why? What's wrong with me?" Before I could panic, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and bleeped it at my neck, gazing first at me, then at the screwdriver with a slight frown. "What is it? What did those freaks do to me?"

"They're not freaks. They can't help how they've been acting." The Doctor said absent-mindedly. He glanced over at the little girl who was now joined silently by her brother and parents. All four were just staring as us. I wondered if all families here were two parents and a son and daughter. Kind of spooky. "They're being poisoned by the suns."

"Those suns...They swirl like...Well like," Like '42', but I knew that wasn't what bothered me about them. "Their swirly things they...." The Doctor was now looking at me encouragingly. "They're swirling in opposite directions. That blue sun there," I pointed. "Its all swirly that way," I pointed north. "And that red sun, is all swirly that way." I pointed south. Having been laying under Bubba for a while earlier, I'd had time to notice these things. "Complete opposites. Like....Like....Well I'm not sure, but I know its something important!" I said, frustrated.

The Doctor looked wide eyed with his usual enthusiasm. "Like..." He seemed to pause more for dramatic effect than trying to think his way through it. "Magnets. Positive and negative. The suns are attracted to one another and being drawn together in a magnetized field of some kind. Oh, thats it!" He slapped his forehead. "They're trapped! They're the source of this power. Each sun produces energy and if combined, that energy can have profound effects. Suns give off solar flares which are normally harmless, but their two solar systems must have come far too close to one another. The flares intermingled and drew each other in. The suns were drawn together by their own energies clashing! It drew them until they were forced together. Here. Above this world." He was speaking softly, but quickly. We both stared up at the suns. "For whatever reasons they weren't pulled into one another in a brilliant explosion. Its as if something is holding them just far enough apart." He didn't appear to like this. "And the energy they're producing is creating negative effects. This planet's own sun is being blocked out by these suns. They need the light of theirs to thrive. They're an innocent people, which would explain their sloppy handling of things like murder. But the suns' energy is naturally soaked up by their skin, and over time, not even so much time, it has effected their biology. They still have the instinct to keep their world peaceful, but the suns are poisoning them. They're confused." He sounded sympathetic.

I'm not proud of this, but...I was angry and I wasn't feeling particularly sympathetic towards them. They'd just tried to kill me! They tried to kill the Doctor as well! They _did_ kill that poor girl, whoever she was, and who knows who else they had hurt or killed. I couldn't imagine any suns rays turning a peaceful people into killers. "Confused...." I actually shot the Doctor a dirty look. One he didn't miss. "Confused enough to kill?! I've been confused, Doctor, but this...This isn't confusion. If those suns are poisoning them, why don't they take cover and stay out of the sun? How can it make them into killers?" I was so mad, I was shaking.

The Doctor looked utterly calm, yet deadly serious. "Hiding wouldn't matter." I didn't think to question him on this. I wish I had. "Besides, a people so innocent they let their children roam about unattended? Never worrying that a neighbor might harm them at all, because a neighbor wouldn't. Not here. Not ever. But then the suns came. They welcomed them as they welcomed everyone and everything. They didn't know not to trust them because how could they? They accepted them as grand guests. That is their way." I wanted to say then why the hell did they accept us like we were a plague that needed to be killed off. He could see it as he looked into my eyes. I could tell he saw it. My anger and lack of empathy. So he continued. "Emily, these people, they feel the negative effects from the suns, but they don't know that is what is causing it. Why the suns' energy is poisoning them in this way, making them believe the way to keep the peace is by killing...." He sounded slightly baffled about that as well. "Almost as if it were being done with some sort of intent...They couldn't know or understand. They have no way of defending themselves against threats when they've never known a threat. No matter what influence the suns are having on them, it isn't their fault."

I hated to admit it, but he was right. It would be like blaming a three year old for shooting someone dead. A three year old can't fully understand what they're doing or that its wrong. Maybe these people were somewhat like that. But someone had to have handed them the gun, and although the science behind it was over my head, I was pretty sure I knew who or what had. "The suns are unhappy, so they're being all evil." I sighed, thinking again of '42'. "They're probably making them into killers on purpose because, like you said, they're trapped, and they want out."

This time the Doctor jumped back and spun fully around, gesturing wildly. I jerked back, startled. "Of course! Emily, you're a genius!" He said, grinning, which made me stare. _Genius? Since when?_ "The suns are alive!" He ruffled his already ruffled hair as he looked up at them, pointing. "Oh, you are beautiful and brilliant suns, you are, but you're doing far too much damage just to get your point across. They're keeping themselves apart. Just barely. Its probably taking all they have to keep themselves from hurling into one another in a magnificent explosion!" He was all excited. It was fun to watch, except the idea of an explosion terrified me.

I watched him and considered the enormity of what we were facing here. "But how can we fix suns out of place?! They're...You know...Suns!" He turned back to me. "We need to-" He was looking over my shoulder. I turned to see what he was staring at. A crowd had grown around the family. And they were moving toward us. No angry faces in place, but all looking quite determined. I wasn't too alarmed by that. I knew now they were amateur killers and not very quick. But a couple of them had what looked like large makeshift bows and arrows. Aimed at us.

I felt a firm hand slipping into mine. "Run!" The Doctor tugged and off we went. Running away from the not angry mob. I was scared. They might catch us. I didn't know where we were going. I didn't know what we were going to do. I knew the Doctor didn't know either. But it didn't matter so much anymore. Because finally, I wasn't alone.


	8. How to Fix Impossible Things

I've been on hiatus a while now. I am attempting to get back into my writing. I don't like to leave people waiting so long. I hope you all will forgive me! Life gets busy as you know, but I do plan to finish my stories. Thank you for the well wishes for my mother, she is doing great now. As am I. If the Doctor seems a bit off in upcoming chapters, I apologize. Lack of watching the Tenth Doctor has had its effects on me, but I'm trying to rewatch old episodes to get a better feel for him once more.

Reviews are always appreciated!

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Why did everything with the Doctor always come down to running? How we were going to fix suns in the sky was beyond me, but as the Doctor pulled me along, another thought occurred to me. If the suns were poisoning these people, couldn't it be poisoning us too? I didn't like the thought at all, but had no time to question the Doctor about it. He was shoving me into the TARDIS before I even realized we had ran back to it. He slammed the door shut behind us and didn't pause as he ran over to his bag and started rifling through it.

I slowly approached him as I caught my breath. "Are you really okay? You look like you got bruised up pretty bad." I reached out toward a cut I noticed on his hand, but he shook me off.

"I'm perfectly fine. I needed a good chase and near death experiences are a wonderful workout for the cardiovascular system, as long as you don't have a heart condition, that is, which I don't. Unless you consider having two hearts a condition. In any case, the near death experiences far outweigh the actual death experiences. Believe me, I know."

I would have laughed at his almost cheerfulness if I wasn't so upset and scared myself. "How are we going to stop this? We can't move suns! I mean, sure you're really good, I mean really, _really_ good," He took a moment to look up at me at this point. "But even you don't have the power to pull magnets as big as the sun away from one another."

"Oh, Emily. Never doubt anyone. Unless they give you a reason to doubt them. No, even then, don't doubt them if they are me." He pointed toward the console. "See if you spot anything outside."

I walked around and peered at the view screen to see quite a few of the blond freaks-I mean people, gathered around in waiting. "They're out there. Waiting for us. They'll kill us if we walk back out there now." If I seemed like I sounded calm, think again. My voice was sore from overuse and the whole nearly being killed thing, but it was also shaky and insecure. No. I was definitely not cut out for all this companion stuff.

"Of course they are, where else would they be?" The Doctor scratched the side of his head with his sonic screwdriver then went back to digging through his bag. As he dug, I leaned back on the console and thought. Then I had the nerve to speak my thoughts, which doesn't happen often. Only usually when I really don't want it to.

My fingers gently touched the rough and stinging marks on my neck. "Doctor?" He nodded silently at me but kept looking through his bag, tossing stuff here and there. "I don't mean to not sound grateful for all you do for everyone and I don't think I'm any more important than anyone else, but...Do you not even care that I was nearly killed? They would have killed me if not for Bubba. The men held me and one put his hands around my neck and strangled me. I lost consciousness. It was terrifying! But you saw the marks and acted as if they were nothing more than a birth mark."

"I _do_ care." He sounded offended. He took the time to stop what he was doing and look fully at me. "I care more than you know. Do you think I don't realize this is my fault? If I hadn't brought you here endangering your life, you would be safely at home with your family right now. Instead of fleeing for your life and fighting things you never even knew existed, and probably never should have known."

He didn't pause even when I tried to speak up and stop him. He walked over and stood in front of me. He took hold of my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. "I _do _care about you and about what happens to you, Emily. You're my responsibility as long as you're here. If you doubt me because I didn't question or show my worry about what happened to you, don't. Don't doubt me, Emily. I didn't question you further on it because one, its very obvious what happened to you. Two, I didn't want to make you relive it. And three, why upset you all over again by going on about my own concerns about you, about those innocent people out there, about wherever that Graske has gotten off to," Oh, so he'd noticed that too. He had an odd way of noticing things without really reacting to them. I liked it. "About the whole of the universe and all of its dimensions? Besides, if I took the time for all of that nothing would ever get done."

I had only one thing I could say to that. "I'm sorry." The words I uttered so quietly, but sincerely. He accepted them and released his hold on my shoulders. He turned back to his bag and his digging. I kept quiet and started thinking again. So, he did care. I felt ashamed all over again. For assuming he just didn't care. I should know better, once more. The Doctor cares a great deal about people. He wasn't just thinking of himself the way I kept doing. He hadn't gone on about it because he didn't want to upset me, not because he didn't care. He did worry about me, but he didn't want to worry me about his worry. Wow. The Doctor has a depth to him I guess I wasn't prepared to see up close. I was too busy being the fangirl who wanted his attention to notice the deeper reasons why I even love the Doctor in the first place. Its a whole different ball game when you meet the real deal.

"I'm not your responsibility." I slowly spoke up. He didn't respond. "I'm my own responsibility. I chose to come along and I knew the risks. I've seen you enough on TV to know. There is always danger. I took the decision into my own hands. I could've just said no, you know. But I didn't. Its not your fault. You didn't know what would be here or what would happen to us." Even I could hear the remorse in my voice. The Doctor was listening, but he wasn't answering. I don't think he likes to talk about such things. I'd already made him talk about things he didn't normally care to address.

A few moments of quiet followed. "Ah ha!" He shouted, again making me jump. "What?" Big eyed, I walked over to him. He handed me what looked like a metal detector except it was fatter and green. "If we can reverse the polarity of just one of the suns, it should reverse the effects on them both, and they will be able to pull apart and go flying back to their own systems."

"But how do you," I laughed. I couldn't help it. He didn't look phased by my disbelief. "How do you possibly reverse the polarity of a sun? A sun! We're not talking about fridge magnets here. We're talking suns!" Then I remembered I wasn't dealing with anyone else I had ever met in my life. I was doubting the wrong person, so I quickly apologized again. I was doing a lot of that now. "Sorry. I just...It seems so impossible. But I guess thats how things are with you. Impossibly possible."

He grinned at that. "Yes, impossible things are a lot more possible than people think. Which makes them possible rather than impossible. All things are possible. Then again if all things are possible, even impossibilities must be possible. But then they create a paradox around themselves by being possible-"

"Doctor." I stopped his confusing ramble. "Possible, impossible, we _do_ have a problem here. Lots of them, I think. And how do you expect to get past those 'innocent' murderers outside? They won't let you just walk on past them. Do you really think you can stop them?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, of course not! How could I possibly stop them, Emily?" He said this as if I were a complete idiot for even suggesting it. I blushed and not in a fun or good way. "I'm going to be too busy reversing a sun's polarity. _You're_ going to have to stop them." You could have knocked me over with a single light breath of air.

"I'm going to d-do what exactly, Doctor?" I was willing to do anything he told me to, but the whole thing sounded insane to me.

"I will reverse the polarity of one of the suns with that metal detector I picked up in the 78th Century. Its really very powerful, was created to detect metal as far away as other planets. And the magnetism can be reversed, but it needs more power than it has. Which is why I'm going to ramp it up with a bit of power from the TARDIS itself."

"Okay...But how will you get it up to those suns?"

"I don't need to go all the way to the suns. I only need to aim the bottom of the detector at one of them, I'll use the blue sun, the red just...Looks more angry. And I don't think I'll need to even be up too high, just a rooftop should do it. The power emanating from the detector by the time I'm finished with it, will be more than enough to get the job done."

I didn't bother to ask just how he planned to climb up on top of a roof. I had a feeling the answer wouldn't calm me down any. "Okay. And what exactly am I going to have to do? How can I stop them when they've got weapons and want to kill us?" He clapped a hand on my shoulder.

"You're more capable than you seem to think. You only lack confidence. Now hold this." He handed me a wire as he wrapped the opposite end around a lever on the TARDIS console and started her engines. He gestured for me to push the end I was holding against the bottom of the metal detector. I did it, and a bright light sparked out from the end before dying.

"There. Done. That now holds enough power to reverse both suns polarities, but we don't want to do that, just one, and it will only be temporary. Once its back in its own orbit it should be able to return itself to its natural magnetism. We want it to last long enough to get the suns out of this planet's atmosphere and at a safe distance from one another so they won't draw each other in again. Now, you go out there and distract our new friends while I fix this little sun problem."

Without waiting for my response, he was pushing me toward the door. Then out the door to the awaiting mob.


	9. Losing Control

Please review. Thank you. =]

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Three people were pointing weapons at me. Two bow and arrows and one long pointed stick that could easily injure me if they threw it and hit me. This didn't bother me as much as the fact that at least one of them was within an arm's distance of grabbing me and that close to wrapping their fingers around my throat.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat and stepped out authoritatively as the Doctor slid the door shut behind me. For a guy who cared so much about me, he sure didn't hesitate to throw me to the wolves! My first thought was how could he do this to me! But, deep down, I did realize he simply had no other choices. Plus, I like to think he had real confidence in me. He could have distracted them himself, but he never would have been able to fix the suns, and I sure couldn't do it. I lack the technical abilities to understand just how.

I also thought over what he might have told me if I asked him about it. I'd bet anything he would have said he did it so quickly because he knew it would torment me all the more if we'd sat around planning it all out and let my anxieties build over having to do it. That is so him! He does things that seem thoughtless, but I think he puts a hell of a lot more thought into the things he does than most of us realize.

I stepped out as if I owned the planet. I'd like to tell you I was feeling confident, had a well thought out plan, and believed I could just act like I was in control so I could actually gain control. But it was nothing that awesome. Nope. I was just so terrified that...Well. Have you ever seen a cornered dog? Even a passive one, when they feel threatened, may come out biting even if it isn't necessary. I suppose I was a cornered dog and my defense was over assertiveness.

I rolled my shoulders back and faced the eerily calm crowd with as stony a gaze as I could manage. I didn't know what I was doing. It was all pure instinct. I didn't even have to try. It truly just happened. The defensiveness and fear taking me over in the form of false bravado.

"I don't belong here. I must be killed. But you see, if you kill me right now, you won't be able to kill the Doctor as well and he will be forever here, stuck in this box on your planet. And you sure don't want that." They seemed hesitant about my words, a couple of them exchanging glances.

"You need him to die too, don't you?"

A few nodded and one man stepped forward. The one with the pointed stick. "You must die. He must die. You do not have permission to be here."

"But you're wrong! I _do_ have permission. I have loads of it!" No, I didn't have any idea what I was going on about. The words flew from my lips as if I were possessed. It wasn't the most amazing plan I ever came up with, but I'm no Doctor. "I have so much permission that I can't even carry all the documented permission on me. I'll show you!" Right about then, I wished I had the psychic paper. But lacking that, I just started to walk directly through the center of the mob crowd as though I couldn't care less that they wanted to kill me. I headed right for their little village. I think my fake confidence had them confused because they slowly started to follow, but hadn't yet tried to kill me. _Yay?_

"You do not understand." A woman spoke up. "I believe you are confused. You do not have permission. You must die. Why are you delaying what must be done? Stop and let us kill you." _Oh yeah. Like thats gonna happen. Ever. _

"Sure. I'll stop and let you kill me, but before I do that, do you mind if I show you all something?" I didn't wait for a response, and I think I had their attention because as I turned a corner around one of the domed buildings, a saw every one of them trailing me, weapons lowered. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of movement by the TARDIS and I knew it was the Doctor sneaking out. I had to keep them busy. Just how long could I stall them? They were intelligent beings, but they were very naive, so I had that in my favor.

"If you'll just follow me, you need to see this before you kill me and my friend." My brain frantically tried to come up with just what _this _needed to be.

"What is it you wish to show us? Please do be swift. You must be killed." Someone in the back of the crowd said. While another piped up. "I think we should kill her now, we cannot allow her to continue living. This is not correct."

"Not correct?" I had lead them into the center of town. I whirled around to face them, my eyes flashing. I felt my anger rising. All of this insanity must have been getting to me. "Its flat out wrong!" I knew I meant killing people while they meant allowing me to live, but I kept the difference to myself. "Did you know there are others here without permission? I'm all wrong being here, but so are they. I sure don't want to live if I'm not supposed to and all that, but you need to know about them and where they are before you kill me off." I informed them. They murmured amongst themselves, seemingly startled by this news.

"Where are the others who do not belong?" A man with no weapon stepped toward me and looked as calm as the rest of them. Even the children. None of them were running about playing games, fighting, crying, bugging their parents as normal kids would. It bothered me a lot.

"I'll tell you and show you, but first we need to have a talk. Yes, a talk." I nodded, convincing myself. Anything to stall.

"There is no time for talk. You do not belong. We must not talk. We must kill." The man informed me in a polite voice.

I rolled my eyes and groaned. "Oooh! You people are such idiots!" I clapped a hand over my mouth. Why had I said that? That wasn't going to help. "I mean-You have to wait because its necessary because, uh, they, the others without permission can't, um...Well they can't come out of hiding without me telling them to. So you can't get them without me."

"I see. Please move quickly then. We must kill them now." An older woman told me. They didn't seem bothered by me calling them idiots. Boy, it was a good thing these people were so gullible or they'd have seen right through my lies! I suck at it, lets face it. The whole lying thing just doesn't work for me. I've tried it lots of times in the past and most people can tell when I'm lying. These aliens couldn't because they didn't think to believe anyone lied. Now there's a concept I still can't wrap my mind around.

"Stop rushing me!" I snapped. "If you want to kill them all, then sit still, be quiet, and wait until I'm good and ready to give the signal for them to come out!" They shifted, looking about, at each other, at their homes, at me. They didn't seem to quite know what to do. That made all of us then. Probably the only person in the whole town who knew what they were doing was the Doctor. I just hoped I was giving him enough time to finish reversing the polarity of that sun!

I was just so mad! I couldn't believe how angry I was, but I embraced it. Anger feels a lot better than fear, let me tell you. It isn't always a good thing, but I think when people are trying to kill you, its always a good thing to get angry at them. Well, maybe not. "You!" I raced up to the closest man and poked him hard in the chest. "If you're going to go about killing people who don't have some mysterious permission to be here, then at least have the decency to kill them properly! You all need weapons that do it quickly and as painlessly as possible. And-" I poked him again. "Do you really want to mess with me?"

He blinked at my sudden aggressiveness and stepped back. I don't believe for a single minute he was intimidated by me. But I think he was waiting to see if I would call the non-existent 'others' out so they could be killed as well.

I glowered. "All of you! You're just a bunch of useless morons letting suns control you!" I shoved a woman and stomped past her, even roughly pushing my way past a little kid. Have you ever felt so incredibly frustrated by a person or situation where you truly wanted to hit them? Well magnify that by about five thousand and you'll get a taste of the rage that was filling me. It wasn't even building in me, it was just there. At this point, I really didn't know what was going on. Only that I was so angry and I wanted to hurt someone. That is completely not me. I'm no angel, but I never am violent! I needed to get away from them before I ended up in a fight or something. And I'd likely lose. A dozen or so of them against me weren't good odds. Even in my enraged state, I could see that.

I was seething! A woman came up and lightly touched my arm. "You do not belong. We will have to find the others on our own. It is time for you to die." I turned around, without thinking, and threw my fist at her jaw. A sharp cracking sound could be heard as her head snapped to the side. She gasped and clutched her jaw. A man, I think it was her husband, pushed her safely behind him and stood between she and I. He looked baffled, but not angry. Why didn't these people ever get truly angry?

"It is time." A few murmured with that infuriating calm.

"Oh, its time alright!" I saw one of them raise their bow and arrow. I turned and ran for a nearby dome building. But, believe it or not, I wasn't afraid. I was too filled with hatred and anger to ever feel anything resembling fear at this point. I was not running for my life. I was running for the nearest object I could use as any sort of weapon. Not to defend myself either. But to hurt others. I'd never felt anything like it in my life.

I have to confess something here...The feeling? It felt empowering. As if I finally had control of things and hurting others felt justified and right. I felt in control. I now know I was completely out of control. There is nothing empowering about losing your temper, but at the time, I felt...Strong.

I used my hand on a panel by a door of one of the domes and the door slid up. I didn't even wait for it to completely go up before I ducked under it and raced into room after room until I found a kitchen and spotted a sharp knife on a counter. Perfect. I grabbed it up and headed back out. Thinking again, I also grabbed a broom that was in a corner. I went back toward the door, but the room was crowded with the people. They blocked my exit. Now, this is the point where I began to figure out something was seriously wrong._ With me._

There was no way I could imagine myself in such a situation. People planning to kill me, grown ups and children. People blocking my only path to freedom. My inevitable death. There was absolutely no way I could ever be in such a situation and not be terrified beyond reason.

So the little problem was, why wasn't I? I felt no terror, no fear at all. Pure rage controlled my every action. Even as I mildly considered the fact that I should be feeling fear and wasn't, I could barely concern myself with that because the anger was blinding. So blinding it hurt.

I growled and flung myself at the nearest person. To this day, I can't remember whether it was a man or woman, only that it wasn't a child, thankfully. I dug my foot against their legs, I shoved the broom handle at their head, and the only thing I hesitated on was the knife. Even in that state of mind, I was able to know it was wrong, what I was doing. Trying to hurt someone wasn't right and wanting to kill them was even _more_ not right.

Had I given any thought to the fact that they would easily over power me, I still wouldn't have been able to stop myself from attacking them in some way though. I might not have killed anyone, but I most definitely still would have attacked.

I felt arms, hands, pulling me off of the person. I didn't stop. I kicked, hit, I think I even bit someone..."Let me go! Let me go, you bastards!" I was screaming at the top of my lungs.

And then it happened.

A boy no older than four stood a few feet away, quietly watching the action. I could feel the crowd being moved and pushed about as if they were being parted by an invisible wave, but I couldn't see what was causing the sudden movements or why the hands and arms that had been holding me were suddenly letting go. I didn't even bother to try to see though. My eyes were on the child.

One little boy. His big innocent eyes full of calm and lack of understanding. He couldn't possibly understand what was happening. He was like the others, filled with the need to kill me. I don't even remember what happened to the broom I had. I can't tell you why my mind set on him, other than all of this felt very out of my hands. He was a child who wasn't old enough to even know what death meant. The boy looked back at me with curiosity in his eyes. He stood with slightly pudgy arms and legs, signifying the fact that he was so young, his body still held baby fat. The child was probably one of the youngest ones there. What little resistance I had, vanished.

As my mind told me everything about this was wrong, my hand that was clutching the knife slowly raised it up as if by its own will. I saw it then. My entire arm was glowing with a golden color. And I remembered what the Doctor said about my neck. The marks were glowing. Poison suns. I was poisoned. Even with that knowledge, my mind was unable to overcome the blinding rage that filled my every pore. The core of me was screaming for all of this to end.

But I wasn't in control anymore.

It didn't register that I felt more physically powerful than possible. That I had been able to pull free of some of their arms on my own. More than that was going on though. Something else had parted the crowd. I didn't give it a thought. My thoughts were still on the boy.

As I was freed, I rushed at the boy. My skin tingled, my body felt on fire. I had to do it. The only thing that could relieve the intensity would be to slice through his delicate skin with the sharp point of the knife blade. I hated that innocent child more than I have ever hated anything in my life. And there was no reason for it. None at all.

I was a mere few feet from the boy. I could feel the others starting to grab at me again. I don't know if they were doing so because they saw what I was about to do, or if they were simply trying to re-gain their hold on me. It didn't matter.

I threw myself at the boy, the knife aimed directly at his chest. The knife was suddenly sinking into soft flesh. A loud yelp filled the air and I was thrown backwards by a force I didn't immediately recognize. I knew I hadn't hit the boy, but I had hit someone.

I landed with a thud and blinked, staring up at the bright neon creature that refused to bare his fangs at me despite my murderous look.

Bubba.


	10. Rage

Thanks for the encouragement those who have reviewed. Please review!

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The severity of my rage was so bad, I didn't feel any horror at my actions. I saw where my knife was. It was sunk firmly in Bubba's side. His fur dripped bright red blood from around the knife. He'd thrown himself between me and the boy. He saved the boy's life, and kicked me away. He was protecting the boy from me.

He was protecting me as well. From doing something I would have never been able to take back. Oh, since then, I have to say, The Doctor has assured me I would have never gone through with killing the boy. He said it wasn't in me to murder. That I'd seen enough of it to know it was wrong. That the people of this world murdered because they'd never seen it, never known it to be wrong. He was completely convinced of my inability to take another person's life. But I don't really believe that. He didn't feel what was beating through my blood stream. He didn't know the rage that had taken over me.

Even with the anger poisoning my very being, I realized something. Remember back near the beginning of my story, I mentioned three important things I'd forgotten about traveling with the Doctor? Well the second one came up faster than I was able to digest it.

_Traveling with the Doctor irreversibly changes people._ I was no exception.

I knew with not a doubt in my mind, that this experience was changing me. Even if I returned home safely, there would really be no going back. You can't ride the edge of the universe and pretend it never happened. Even if I went back to the same life, _I_ was different.

With the darkness in my eyes and my skin glowing, I must have been quite the sight. But all I could see was that Bubba was in the way. I ignored that he was injured, though something deep inside told me was tugging at me about it. I glanced around. The peoples' eyes were on Bubba and I. They stayed back, still appearing unsure about taking any particular action. Which was probably a good thing for me. As terrible as they had been behaving, they looked very vulnerable to me in that moment.

I turned back to Bubba. "Bubba, _get_!" I smacked my hands together, trying to get him out of the way of the real object of my rage. A child. The child was hidden tucked away behind the large creature. Even his mother could not reach him. He didn't make a sound. I climbed to my feet, glared, and stormed forward. Bubba didn't move, didn't flinch, and didn't bite me.

I reached out and grabbed the knife in his side, roughly twisting it. Bubba whimpered as I tortured the poor boar looking creature. A creature I already knew was not the violent sort and didn't deserve it. Bubba had saved my life. He'd stuck by my side when I needed someone the most. He'd kept me company when I was most alone. He'd taken care of me, when I thought all was lost. And here I was, hurting him in the worst possible way. Yet, he didn't attack me. He remained a friend to me even as I made it clear I wasn't his.

Something in me told me it felt good, powerful, to be causing this large beast pain. "Move out of my way!" I yelled at him. He didn't move. He kept himself lodged between me and the child protectively.

I yanked the knife out, leaving a gaping, bleeding, jagged hole in Bubba's side. He howled in pain as the knife was ripped from his wounded flesh. I tossed the knife toward the mob of people. They dodged it and it clattered to the ground, spattering blood over various shoes, legs, and the white floor. I used my bare hands to try to shove Bubba out of the way. My anger just making me want to hurt, kick, hit, bite, anything to release the rage burning inside.

I heard a loud, raw, animal growl that startled me. The sound was that of a creature that wanted nothing more than to torture and destroy everything in its path. And the growl hadn't come from Bubba. It came from me.

Logic couldn't prevail. Overwhelmed with the fire inside, I punched at my Bubba. He was having trouble keeping his stance due to blood loss and the serious looking gash on his side. I kicked directly at his wound, causing small whimpers and yelps to escape his mouth. His eyes looked into mine with such deep pain it was hard to miss the fact that it was more than the wound that hurt. It was my betrayal.

But he stood his ground. Neither hurting me, nor allowing me to hurt the boy.

I continued to torture him, he gave a weak, mournful cry. He limped toward me, using his body strength to push me back. He did so to allow one of the adults to grab the child and move him safely away from me. I stumbled back, but pressed back against him with my full body weight, pinching his sore and bloodied wound. The things I did to Bubba that day...

There aren't enough tears in the world for me to cry out the guilt I feel. How do you ever come back from something like this? Knowing you were enjoying hurting someone you cared about. A true friend. I'll tell you something. You don't. You move on, you live your life, and many moments you don't give it a thought. But then something brings it back to you. A flash of a knife on a movie, a dog's growl, a blood stain, someone mentioning friendship, someone being angry. And then it all comes flooding back. The flash of remorse heating your face and slamming into your chest, refusing to not be noticed.

I think finding pleasure in someone's pain, is disturbing. To know I did this and took great pleasure from it haunts me and will always haunt me. Sure, it may have been the influence of the suns possessing my being, but trust me, you never stop blaming yourself. Or at least, if I ever get to the point where I do stop, I'll let you know.

Continuing my abuse, lost in nothing but the rage, I didn't have time to react to the sudden movement of the room. The sound of a loud explosion and a rush of air from outside was followed up with everyone being thrown about, including me. I flew one way, Bubba another.

The sudden violent quake tossed me backwards again. The room shook and rocked. People grabbed onto chairs, walls, each other to keep stable. I couldn't think past the burning hatred to understand what was happening. I tried to reach out and grab onto a wall but something hard and solid hit the side of my head. I felt a sharp pain and then everything was silent.


	11. Waking Up Can Suck

**Finally, this chapter is here! It may not be what people are expecting, but its a nice little bit of character development. The next chapter shall be coming sooner than this one did. I hate to put a time frame on it, but hopefully within the next week.**

**Reviews are hearted!**

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Something hurt. Something hurt a _lot_. I moaned quietly, feeling an odd sort of calm. As if every muscle in my body had tensed, then relaxed. I blinked up at a dark haired figure looming over me. "Dad?" I mumbled. "Is it morning already?" I asked confusedly. School days suck. The last thing I felt like doing was getting up and going to school. Plus, I had a killer headache. But that wasn't what was hurting the most. I couldn't put a finger on just what was. I closed my eyes again.

I felt a warm hand on my cheek, lightly patting it. "Emily? Emily, its time to wake up." I whined in protest. "Please, can I stay home today, Dad? I really don't feel good." I whimpered pathetically. My head was throbbing and I was sore all over.

"Oh Emily, I'm not your Dad! You can stay home if we ever get you back there, now wake up!" The irritated and not very American voice caused me to freeze. I forced my eyes open again and blinked up at the man hovering above me. "Dad-Oh." It all came flooding back to me in painstaking detail. The Doctor. The Graske. A trip in the TARDIS. The out of place suns. The innocent killers. My rage.

I know, I know. I should have been happy to realize it was all real. Actually, in that moment I wished more than at any other, that none of it were real. That it had all been some wild dream my friends and I could laugh about later that day at school. That it really was my father trying to wake me up for school, and not the Doctor trying to wake me from whatever object had flown at me in the quake and knocked me out. The desire to curl up in a ball and never move again was hard to resist.

I heard bleeping and realized he must have been checking me over with the sonic. The Doctor slid an arm around me to help me sit up. "No concussion, no broken bones, no internal injuries. Just a bad shock to your system and a bump on your head. You alright now?" He asked. I focused my blurry eyes on his face. Slowly he came into full focus. The disconcerting look in his own eyes told me he'd seen the aftermath of what I'd done. I'd hurt people. I'd hurt..."Bubba!" I blurted out, nearing tears.

His expression told me nothing. I tore my eyes from his and looked around. We were in the same building we'd been in, but it was empty. Nobody was there. A few things were still strewn about, reminding me of the violent actions of not only the planet shaking, but of my own behavior. A pool of blood lay on the floor not far from me. _Bubba._ My heart ached.

"I hurt him. Doctor, I hurt him bad. I hurt people." I choked out a sob I couldn't hold back. "I'm horrible. Whats wrong with me?" This wasn't me being a fan and wanting the Doctor's attention. I'd gone far beyond that at this point. This was me horrified at my own behavior, scared, and confused. Who wouldn't be?

"It wasn't you." He said quietly. I couldn't quite place the emotions I heard in his voice.

"But I did it! I hurt them! I-I hit and I kicked and I punched, I maybe broke somebody's jaw!" He looked mortified at this, but didn't say anything. "And Bubba..." The thought that he was out there somewhere either hurt or...I couldn't think like that. It hurt too much. I started to cry in earnest now, shaking.

The Doctor moved in to hug me, but it was my turn to push him away. I didn't deserve comforting. Not after what I'd done. I'd nearly attacked a little boy, I'd punched a woman who had only spoken to me, I'd attacked Bubba as if he were my worst enemy when on this day, he was my best friend. Its a funny little feeling, not being able to allow the man who was very willing to give so much, comfort me. I guess I was finally figuring out, sometimes it isn't always about me. Sometimes, its time to just...Grow up.

I crawled away from the Doctor who watched looking for all the world like a lost puppy dog himself, unsure of how to help. I climbed to my feet a bit unsteadily, but as he got up to try to help me, I held a hand up to separate him from me. I was the last person who needed his help. And this wasn't pure emo or self loathing thoughts, but me thinking of others before myself. I'm actually kind of proud of myself. I matured a lot in a short amount of time thanks to the Doctor.

I'd love to say that maturity stuck, but I still have plenty of bouts of being all childish. Though I suppose the Doctor would say thats a good thing.

"Go find the people, make sure they're okay, Doctor. I hurt some of them. I-I don't know what happened." Tears streamed down my face.

"This isn't your doing. The suns, especially that red one, poisoned you. Told you I didn't like the look of it, and it was fiercely angry at its predicament. It took a bit of work, but they're safely gone now. That was the explosion you felt. The suns pulling free of their magnetized prison and falling back into their own orbits thousands of light years from here would have torn this world apart if not for the fact that it has a network of highly developed resistant atmospheric protectors around it. Those alone have helped keep the people from already being dead from the suns' poisoning. Makes you wonder what else might've tried to get to them for them to need such a protective network. And who developed it." He was rubbing the back of his head thoughtfully, but left the questions to the Universe to ponder. "When the suns left they took their solar powers with them, so everyone should be free of the suns' poisons now."

"Why weren't they all...glowy?" I looked at my arms. They weren't glowing anymore. "Nobody else was. Nobody else was so...Angry." I looked at him, pleading for answers. "I was glowing and inside me I was burning. I wanted to hurt them. I don't know why!"

"It was the suns, not you. You would never do that, Emily. They weren't glowing because they are incapable of anger. They have no ability to become angry, so therefore the suns power over them was limited. Not limited enough, but you see, over you, a human who is capable of great rage, it infected you even more powerfully."

"But how come it didn't infect you?" I was still trying to see through my blurred tears. I wiped my eyes and looked around.

"Oh, it would have infected me eventually, but we hadn't been here long enough. The only reason you became infected so easily was because the others who were infected touched your skin and you haven't my strong cardiovascular system."

I was listening and nodding, but I was also now following a trail of blood. It didn't take a Doctor to realize just whose blood it had to be. "Well, the people might be safe from the poisoned suns, but they still could have injuries you can help them with. And..." I trailed off as I stepped outside and blinked, the brightness overpowering all else. The sickening dark blue and red that had bathed everything, was completely absent. In its place was a bright golden glow all over everything. I glanced up at a regular looking sun, then back down at the ground. The sand was so bright it looked like glittering gold! And as I looked around, I noticed a gathering in the center square. The people. They all looked as they had before, with a few notable exceptions.

The children weren't standing about with monotonous expressions. They were actually smiling, laughing, a couple looking confused, a little girl was chasing a little boy happily through the crowd, another girl was whining at her mother for food. They were behaving the way you'd expect kids to behave! No more crazy bland, uncaring expressions. Even the adults held various expressions from relief to upset, but none were crying or terribly upset the way I would have thought they would be. I guess when you can't feel deep anger, maybe you can't feel deep pain either. Something to be said about lacking depth, I suppose. But then, they probably missed out on some of the deeper feelings of love and joy we Humans have.

I needed to apologize. But I needed to find Bubba first. "Where is he?" I turned back to see the Doctor trailing behind me. He peered at me, and then over at the people. "There, you see?" He smiled. "They're fine. Better than fine, they're relatively happy!" I couldn't find a bit of relief in his announcement or that my eyes told me he was very right. I started searching the ground for the blood trail. Surely, it had to be here somewhere. I was soon desperately moving around the doorway of the domed house, trying to find any more droplets.

A hand clapped down on my shoulder. I glanced at the Doctor's curious face. "What are we looking for?" He asked, a finger disappearing briefly in his ear before reappearing. "Bubba!" At this, his face suddenly changed. Changed in such a way that it felt very literally, like the ground dropped out from under me.

"What? You know something about Bubba? Where is he? What happened?" I pleaded for answers, grabbing a hold of the sleeve of the Doctor's jacket and lightly tugging. I couldn't read his expression, but it didn't look happy and it was upsetting me.

"I'm so sorry." Was how he began. Which only made me burst into unwanted tears once more. Bubba must be dead, and much worse, he was dead by my own hand! "Emily, I tried to stop them. Honestly, I did, but they wouldn't listen to reason." Now he wasn't making much sense. I dragged the back of my arm across my eyes and stared at him mutely. He stared back. "You know, they are a very stubborn people."

"What are you talking about? Bubba is dead, isn't he?" This caused the Doctor's eyes to crinkle into confused slits. Almost right after that, understanding hit him and he relaxed. "Oh, no, no, no. Nothing like that." He shook his head. The pain in my head was starting to get more pronounced from all of this. "Of course he's not dead! They-" His hand swept toward the blond headed aliens. "Healed him. But its what they did next..." He jerked his head toward the opposite direction, indicating I should look.

I was too stuck on the whole them healing him thing. "They healed him? He's okay? Really?" I shrieked and jumped up and down in relief, ignoring the pounding in my head. "Oh yes! Yes! I can't believe! I don't know how they healed him, some sort of alien science stuff, I bet, but thank you! Thank you!" I shouted over at the people who looked over at me with a mixture of confusion and smiles. Not to think for a second that my guilt was erased here. Hardly. But knowing I hadn't killed him and that he would be okay was more than enough to get my heart started again. "He's so wonderful, Doctor! He saved my life! He saved a little boy! From..._Me_, but he saved him! He-" The Doctor at this point took me by both shoulders to stop me from bouncing quite so hyperly.

"Emily, listen-"

"But he's alive!" I laughed gleefully. I know what you're all thinking. This girl has the Doctor trying to tell her something and get her attention and any one of you thinks you would be at rapt attention for it, don't you? I know how that feels. I felt like that once. I would have groaned at someone doing what I did, back before I did it. The thing you have to realize is when you've been through so many things with and without the Doctor, the emotions can become so overwhelming that the only thing you have room to do is breathe again. I really couldn't pay attention to anything other than that the excruciating crush of having hurt Bubba and thinking he was dead, was lifted from my chest. All I could do was react.

"But, Emily-"

"He's alive! Ha! He's healed! They healed him! If I had money, whatever kind they use here, I'd buy them stuff! Flowers maybe!" A few tears of joy filled my eyes but didn't fall. I grinned at the Doctor and then the blonds, and back to the Doctor again.

"Em-"

"I thought he was dead!"

"But-"

"I really did! It would have been my fault, but he's not!" I was calming down just a bit now. Enough for him to finally catch and_ hold _my attention.

He gave my shoulders a gentle, but persistent shake. "Emily! Listen to me. _Now_!" I stopped. My eyes met his. He calmed down now that he had my attention. He turned me around and pointed an arm over my shoulder. I looked from his hand and over to where he was pointing.

I stared, my mouth falling open in horror, not to mention an insane amount of confusion.


	12. Not A Hero

**Thank you all for waiting! Not that I gave you much choice. I wasn't positive on how this chapter would go as its been so long, I had to go over some things again and try to make it work right. I wanted to bring certain parts to a close, so I'm working on that, though it doesn't look like it yet. I wanted to give you all something until I finish the next chapter so here is that something. Hopefully I will soon bring this story to a close. Not that we ever want it to end, aye? *grins*  
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"What...Did they _do_?" There, to the left of the town square, suspended on top of one of the dome buildings, was Bubba. I saw no wound in his side, it was obviously healed, which would have made me feel wonderful. Had it not been for a couple of little things. Or really, really big things.

One of them being Bubba himself. He was twice the size he should have been. And not only that, he was frozen, unmoving, unflinching, like a statue. Could he still be alive like that? "Get him down!" I turned back to stare not at the Doctor, but the blonds behind him. "Get him down right now! Fix him! Fix him now! _Fix him right now_!" I sounded less like the young woman who was trying to grow up and more like how I sounded, oh, about ten years ago when I wanted a new toy and couldn't have it.

"Emily, calm down. They thought they were doing something good." The Doctor's soothing voice somehow didn't soothe me in the least.

"But look what they've done! The blew him up into...Some big giant thing! What did they do to his body! And he's stuck up there. He's frozen! He needs down now!" I could lie and tell you that I was just feeling completely angry with them for doing this to Bubba, but it was way more than that. It was my own guilt at what I'd done to him. It was eating away at me and so it made me feel overly angry. I was really angry with myself, but _you_ try telling yourself that in a moment like this. Its not so easy to reason with your own emotions! I'm only human!

Most of the wide eyed people were staring at me now. Or were the wide eyes just for me? _Yeah, probably. _

"Get him down! You can't do that to him! You'd _better _do it now!" I charged toward the group, or tried to. Something was keeping me in place. I was so angry, it took me a second to figure out why exactly it was that I couldn't move. The Doctor had a firm hold of my arm. "Leave them alone." The sudden quiet in his tone was very nearly..._Threatening_. I would have shuddered had I not been too stunned by it to move. As much as we admire and look up to him, the Doctor can still be deadly. A fact I hadn't forgotten, but hadn't really expected to worry about. Particularly directed at me.

I turned to stare at him. Maybe he was feeling specifically protective of them for what they had just gone through, much as I was feeling toward Bubba. But for whatever reason, I was getting a dark look from the Doctor. His words and that look...I would have rather been strangled all over again than feel that quiet fury from him, toward me. The depth of his abilities flew through my mind. The things I'd seen on my own Television, and those imagined in the darkest corners of my mind. The things that may have happened during the Time War. The way he was perfectly capable of destroying entire species and worlds. He'd surely given them a look and threat like this.

I didn't fight him and there was no way in hell I ever would have done something to cause him to turn his rage on me. Even the sheer hint of it was so painful to experience, that to this very day, I have nightmares about it. I'm telling you, I won't be surprised if I wake up in a cold sweat fifty years from now with those dark eyes and that whisper of a threat in his voice, lingering in my head.

That look. That dark, destroying look of his...I don't ever want to see it again unless its aimed at something evil and bad and _not me_. Thankfully, in the actual moment, it didn't last. It melted from his features the instant he saw he had my cooperation, but it was still terrifying to have happen.

He released me and calmly spoke. "They put him up there to forever worship him. A sort of living idol in suspended animation. That isn't his body, he is encased inside of that outer shell they created specifically for him." How they created that in the time it took me to wake up and put him up there, I'll never know. Frankly, I don't even care. No, actually I _do_ care, but I didn't think to ask, so I guess I'll never know. Which sucks, but that is another side of being with the Doctor. A lot of questions remain unanswered and that is just something you have to live with.

He continued. "This is their world and the way they handle things. I'm sure they can be reasoned with, but they don't understand why we wouldn't want him to be worshipped in this way. They consider him a King." Yay for him, but I didn't care. Yes, I thought Bubba deserved praise and then some. But this wasn't the way to do it!

"Then how do we get them to free him?"

"Well." The Doctor suddenly wasn't meeting my gaze, which wasn't very confidence building, I gotta say.

"What?" I asked tiredly. This little adventure I'd wanted for as long as I'd ever known of Doctor Who, was wearing on me in ways I hadn't ever expected. I _really_ wanted to go home. Maybe for all those out there who dream of traveling with him, once they actually had the opportunity, they'd realize how harrowing it actually is and decide it isn't for them. I'm not saying it isn't fantastic, brilliant and beautiful in ways you can only imagine, but what I _am_ saying is its also traumatic, horrifying, and life altering in some major negative ways too. I will never forget it, but as a full time companion? I might not fail, but I don't think I could handle it well at all. Dreaming of it and living it are two brutally different experiences.

"We've got to give them something of equal value to replace him with or they won't release him."

"Can't you just, I don't know, sonic him out of that suspended thing without their permission?"

"No. I have the technology, but these people have been through enough. It would be too much to take away what they consider to be their savior. He is the hero." _Oh come on_! You have to be thinking what I was! Although Bubba was the hero of the little boy and me, it was the Doctor who really saved them. They had no idea about the suns or what was happening to them. But they didn't know that and I knew for as much of an ego the Doctor can have, he didn't ask for attention or praise for his actions. He really didn't seem to care if others took credit for his actions, as long as people were safe and happy. He was the true hero. He always will be.

As for Bubba, I just wanted him back and normal and apologize. Would he even let me near him if I ever did manage to figure out how to fix this? Even if not, I decided it didn't matter. As long as he was okay and free to live out the sort of life his kind, whatever he was, lived.

I noticed myself that I was starting to take some responsibility for these things. Before, I'd have waited for the Doctor to figure it all out, but now I was thinking how was I going to make this okay.

"What could we offer them that has the same value...Nothing is as valuable as Bubba, he saved a little boy..."

The Doctor spoke up a moment after my thoughts. He sniffed and straightened his coat. "I'll just offer them myself." And I knew he would. What had I just said about heroism and ego? There is no denying, the Doctor is good. But there is also no denying something else. _He knows it._

Still, there was no way getting around the pure facts of what he was saying. The Doctor would go on up to the villagers and offer to let them encase him and suspend him over their little town just to save Bubba. The man who could save so, so many, would give his life up just to save a single creature's.

It made me feel a rush of even more guilt. I can't say I would have been that selfless, even for Bubba, but I knew even if I did try to offer myself in his place, I would not be accepted. I'd been the one to attack them, and even if they had forgiven me, I wasn't exactly heroic or good enough to be Bubba's replacement.

While I'm at it, I should point something else out. At that time, I truly did think the Doctor was willing to make such a sacrifice, and I do think he would. But now? Well, I know better. I think that he had been looking for me to take the lead and do what he knew I knew was right. And had he ended up actually having to offer himself up, he would have found a way out of it in the end. That is just what he does. Still, I didn't think of this at the time. Hindsight and all that.

"Wait. What if I try to explain to them how unfair this is to Bubba?" I looked at the Doctor hopefully. He slowly smiled and lightly slapped me on the back, pushing me toward them. "Now there's a good idea. Give it a try." He sounded like he truly believed in me. Which is more than I can say for myself.

I slowly started toward them. It isn't like the Doctor hadn't already tried to talk them out of it. I'm sure he also tried to explain that it wasn't fair to poor Bubba to take his life and suspend it like that. How could I ever possibly talk them out of something, someone as smart as the Doctor had failed at doing?

I didn't have any answers, but I walked over and moved to the center of the small crowd. "Excuse me." I spoke up a bit loudly to catch their attention. Not that I needed to. They were mostly already watching me cautiously. When I had most of their attention, at least the adults, I started to speak again, nervously this time.

"That creature, over there." I pointed to Bubba. "He is my friend. I didn't mean to hurt him. He deserves to live his life fully and not be...Up there like that. He needs to be able to run freely and be all...Happy and stuff like that." Jeez, I sucked at this. "Can't you please let him down and put him back to normal?" I asked as gently as I knew how, with pleading eyes looking from one of them to the other. I wasn't sure who, if any of them, were in charge.

One older woman stepped toward me and shook her head. "He saved the prince, he will forever be treasured. He belongs there, watching over our village as grand as any being ever was. He is more than this 'normal' you ask for him. He is to be cherished. He is a King Protector of our children."

I didn't let myself fully think on her explanation before diving in to try to fix this. "But it isn't about you, or the...Prince." That boy was a prince? I'd nearly killed him...Not that him being a prince or a regular kid would have made him less or more valuable, but it was still a heady thought that I pushed away as quickly as I could. "This is about Bubba. He can be cherished running freely too! He can't be all...Up there like some monument to be stared at. You can't take his life away just to worship him. It isn't fair to him. If you really want to honour him, let him live!"

The older woman spoke patiently. "You don't understand, child, he is needed. We not only wish to worship him, but to keep him to protect us and our children. He will frighten away those that would cause harm to our kind." What happened to them not even realizing they could have enemies? This whole experience may not have taken away all that they were or anything, but it seemed to have stolen away at least some of their innocence. That wasn't my fault, but somehow I felt a pang of guilt for it anyway. Its funny how much I blame myself for things that are out of my control, but when it comes to things that I actually do wrong, I want nothing to do with them. I wonder if I'm the only one who does things like that sometimes.

"Excuse me a minute." I ran over to the Doctor. "Doctor, how do they even know anyone would hurt them? I thought they were innocent of that stuff?" I asked him quietly.

"Oh, they must have heard of such things by other visitors in the past. I doubt they understood their meaning until today." He said this so sadly that it made my heart ache. I nodded and turned back to the group that had turned to face me, curious about what I was doing.

Everything was happening too slowly for my liking. I walked over to the crowd and faced them. The Doctor watched quietly from a distance. "I think..." Did I mention I'm lucky if I pass all of my classes at school? I was feeling dense and not thinking straight as it was. So coming up with the solution wasn't my strong suit. "If...If you need a protector...We could always train you to look after yourselves. Empowering yourselves would be good. Wise." I pointed out.

A couple of them murmured quietly to one another and the woman spoke up again. "If you wish for his release, then you will give us a protector of equal or greater value."

I shrugged. "I haven't got one of those. Not one I'd be willing to give up anyway." I said, thinking of the Doctor. They couldn't do that to him, and I wouldn't let them. Not to mention the fact that he wouldn't let them, but that wasn't the point. The point was I wasn't going to let them either way.

"You have." The woman disagreed. "There is you."

I blinked. "Me? But I'm still trying to survive high school! I'm no protector."

"We may relent to taking the King from his place of worship, if you relent to take his place. Not as our Queen, or for worship, but as our protector. You are powerful. We saw your powers. You are capable of being a protector. We will exchange you for him." It was more like a demand than an offer. I stared at her, and the rest of them. "But I attacked you. You really want someone who tried to hurt you, protecting you? I nearly killed the...Prince!"

"Your friend, the Doctor, explained to us that you weren't yourself, as we weren't ourselves. But that you are a brave girl and come from another world that has much the same abilities as you displayed. Using your hands and...What was the word? The devices used to defend against those who would do harm." Weapons? These people didn't even have a word for _weapons_? "You understand their uses and how to use them properly."

"Uh, so do you! You have bows and arrows and!" I glanced at one man in particular and rubbed my neck. "Some of you sure know how to use your hands as weapons!" At the confused looks I got from using that word, I added. "Defensive devices."

"The bows and arrows are used for play and never for harm. They were given to us as gifts many eras ago. We use them to unleash the sap in trees that is used for foods and sealants. We were not ourselves when they were used as defensive devices." The woman continued calmly. "We do not do these sorts of things, nor do we fully comprehend them. But you do. They are in your world always. You were not yourself, but you have an understanding of how to protect and defend others. You know of these things. Far more than any of us. You have a concept we are still only learning. We need a protector now that we have...Need of one." They were so new to such things that they didn't even know the words enemies or weapons.

"I don't think that will work out...Besides, someone hung up and suspended in animation like that, can't protect anyone or thing!" I was getting frustrated.

"They watch over the village and keep it safe." The woman spoke again, nodding toward Bubba. "And you can replace him. Then we will release him from his duty." These people were too innocent for their own good! They didn't realize that even if they had someone to protect them, keeping them all up in the air and frozen like that, wasn't going to do any good. Thats like putting a scare crow up! It might scare off a few crows, but it won't scare away a burglar or killer! I didn't think they would understand or listen if I tried to explain this to them though.

"Let him go, and I'll help you find ways to stay protected." I agreed. "I'll help you be safer. It can be a sort of way for me to make up for what I did..." I was hoping the Doctor would help me with that. I could teach them how to put up more lights around their little village and tell them about actually locking doors and having people in place like police. I was hoping that would be enough.

They murmured amongst themselves again.

"So you agree to be our protector then?" The woman asked.

"Yeah, sure. I'll help." It was all I could think to say.

"The girl has agreed to become our protector. Let her make amends of her deeds and give release to the King." The woman announced. "This is a far greater honour that we allow her this gift to our people." The crowd clasped one another's hands in some form of triumph and celebration. I thought I'd actually pulled it off. Until...

"Prepare a place for her above our streets." They didn't get it. "She will take his place." Again, they _really_ didn't get it.

Two men approached me and I started backing up. "Wait a minute! I didn't agree to _that_!" Yes, I _am_ that selfish. Sorry. I'm not the hero of this piece, in case that wasn't already sorrowfully obvious. I wasn't about to sacrifice myself even for sweet Bubba. I can't help it. I was scared...Would you have been any different? _Really?_ Think about it.

"There has to be another way!" They grabbed me by my arms. Whatever their talk about not having any capabilities of violence was supposed to mean, it seemed to be evaporating quicker than they could insist on them. "You people aren't supposed to hurt others! What's going on! Let me go!" They tightened their grips around my arms and when I refused to move my feet, they dragged me!

I threw a desperate look over my shoulder. The Doctor was nowhere in sight. Where did he go _now_? Seriously, you would think with all his warnings to his companions about not going wandering off, he would take that advice himself. I was beginning to realize half the reason they probably do that, is because they're just following his example.

"Doctor!" I screeched as I was pulled along by the two larger men. I suppose my consolation was that they would let Bubba go free. They dragged me into a nearby building. I can't describe my surroundings, as I was too busy freaking out, but it looked like all the other domed houses around. Except this one had a strange tub in the room they dragged me into, surrounded by all of these little tubes and suction looking things. "I don't agree! I don't agree! Let me go! Doctor, where are you? DOCTOR!" I screamed.

"Calm down, child." The woman was there now. "We are only doing as you requested. We must have a protector now, and you volunteered." She didn't seem to understand. None of them did. They didn't understand this was hurting me. Since they hadn't understood they'd hurt Bubba, I shouldn't have been surprised. But somehow I was anyway.

The two mean forced me into the large tub. I squirmed and tried to wiggle free, but a large see-through plastic cover was placed over top of the tub after they firmly forced my head down again. The two men were well built, and I might have thought the younger of the two was cute, except for this whole forcing me into a weird opal colored, strange smelling, huge tub. Where was I? Oh right. Never mind about the cute factor. They were muscular and I hadn't stood a chance against them physically. But, I think I could have fought a bit harder. Maybe even tried that biting them or something, but I really didn't feel in any _real_ danger up until that cover slid into place.

"What are you doing?" My voice echoed out through the tubing and hollowness of the tub. This was no bathtub. It was oval shaped and big enough to fit several people or Bubba inside. Which made it no wonder how I could get on my knees inside of it and pound on the plastic cover above me. "Let me out! Whats going on?" I demanded with as much of an angry, controlled voice as I could manage.

"You are about to receive the process." A muffled voice came through to me. "Settle down or it will be more painful than necessarily."

"Painful?" I squeaked. "Painful how? What are you doing to me? Let me out!"

The voice speaking now wasn't the woman's but one of the others. A blond man loomed over the top of the tub and peered down at me. His face was distorted by the cover, which made the whole experience that much creepier. "We will extract all of the air and suspend your body in an airless pocket before encasing you in your new skin. Then you shall be hoisted above our streets to stand as our protector. The process will be less painful if you stay still. If you move, it will hurt more and may take longer." He moved away and all I could see above me was a plain white ceiling.

The tubing holes through the sides of the tub started making hissing sounds. I stuck a hand over one and could feel it was like a vacuum sucking all the oxygen out of the air tight tub. I banged harder and harder on the plastic cover, screaming at the top of my lungs. I probably shouldn't have done that. It uses air up a lot quicker. But the panic was setting in. I needed out. And _now_.

This couldn't be happening! "Let me out! Please! Help me! _Help me_!" More tears were shed. I know this only because I felt the warmth and wetness on my cheeks. What would it feel like? Being frozen in suspended animation. Would I be aware of what was happening? Would it be more like being asleep? If it had to happen, I really, really hoped so. I didn't want to be awake for it.

But where was the Doctor? Why had he abandoned me? This time it couldn't be blamed on alien influences unless he'd also agreed to do something or be something for these people. They supposedly weren't violent and wouldn't have done anything to him. He'd just been standing a little ways behind me, watching. Why had he left? Did he know where I was and what was going on? I was positive he cared. But did he really think this was the answer? Is this what he wanted to have happen? I'd done some bad things, even if most of them were out of my control. A small part of me started to worry that maybe he did think I deserved this.

The Doctor wouldn't let them do this to me. Would he?


	13. Only Strong Enough

**As always, reviews are loved. I heart you all and your patience!**

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If anyone was in the room or talking, I was deaf to it. I started to wonder if death would be the less painful and cruel option as opposed to being placed in suspended animation and encased in some sort of outer shell for all of eternity. Rational thought wasn't really a part of any more of my thoughts after that thought. I could feel the air growing stale and thin. Even then, I couldn't stop screaming. My fists pounded upward on the clear cover that imprisoned me securely into this nightmare.

I begged, I pleaded, I downright sobbed. I put my vocal chords to extreme use. Probably more abuse than they've ever taken, even when I was in middle school glee club. Then something happened. You're hoping I'll say something amazing, miraculous and good happened, aren't you? You're hoping I'll say the Doctor appeared, plucked me out of the tub-like container, and saved me from my fate. You know what? I was hoping I could say that too. Damn hope and all it offers! The let down is freaking brutal, isn't it?

Because the Doctor didn't save me. Neither did anyone or thing else.

Although, as I said, something did happen.

Something landed with a thud on top of the case above my head. It caused me to flinch away, but my screams still didn't end. Then I saw huge eyes staring in at me. The Graske! Where had it come from? How did it get up there? Where had it been? That stupid little...But I'd be completely lying if I said I was angry. I was too busy panicking big time. "Let me out! Help me! Please! Let me out! Get the Doctor! Please, help me! HELP ME!" I screamed at him, and then screamed wordlessly at the top of my lungs.

Laying across the top of the glass, the Graske stared in at me. Then? Well, then the little bugger grinned and waved! He _grinned and waved_ at me! You want to know what trouble a Graske gets up to when you're not looking? No, you really don't. All you need to know is it has no intentions of helping you whatsoever unless it benefits the Graske itself in some way. That is just how they are.

The Graske continued to grin and wave at me, making some sort of maniacal giggling sound that I only caught hints of in between my own screams. Then he scurried off the top as one of the blonds appeared to be trying to say something to him. He was off and out of sight. Yes, a part of me did hope he would at least go try to find the Doctor and tell him I was in trouble. But did I actually believe he would? Hell no.

My heart was thundering away which I knew couldn't be good because I had very little oxygen to go on. I went through those odd little stages of grief. Anger, shock, fear, hurt, and slowly was succumbing to the more dangerous stage. _Acceptance_. Now, when we're talking about actual grief, acceptance is the best and healthiest place for you to be in. It is a peaceful place. But when you're supposed to be fighting for your existence, it isn't the best place to be in at all.

I sank to the floor of the tub, curling my knees up to my chest and sitting between two of the suction tubes that were draining the air out. How could not having air, _not _kill me? These non-violent people were killing me. Or may as well have been. They were going to take away my ability to move, breathe, feel, do what I wanted and needed to, to go on and live my life to...Choose.

I stared at the suctioning tubes across from me and now that I had stopped screaming my head off, I reasoned with myself. Accepting this fate was not the answer. Sure, it may make the process less painful and horrible, but it wouldn't save me. And there was still hope. The Doctor teaches us all that, I think. That we have to keep going, to keep hoping.

_Choice._ We always have choices. Even if the choices suck bad. I could accept my fate and roll with it, hoping for the best, or I could continue to fight back. Screaming and hitting wasn't working. So was there another way to fight back? I thought of the Doctor. Where the hell was he? Why had he abandoned me again? I forced such thoughts away since they weren't helping me get out of here. Nor was he...But on to other more pressing matters.

I was feeling lightheaded and dizzy. That wasn't good. What would the Doctor do? He would be looking for non-violent alternatives. I didn't have a sonic screwdriver, all I had were my clothes and me. How could I stop this from happening? There just didn't seem to be any way. But wait. There it was. A thought. As I felt the air being vacuumed away, I reached over and stuck my hand through one of the suctioning holes as deeply as I could. The pressure was immense, but any air that was trying to escape through it, couldn't get in around my hand!

Not letting myself worry about this not working, I immediately used my feet to kick my shoes off and reached over to stuff each one into one of the tubes, clogging them. I then did my best to use my hands and feet to block other holes. I considered removing the rest of my clothes, vanity and modesty go out the window when you're in this situation, I promise you, but as I looked around, I realized there were far too many holes. I couldn't possibly block them all even if I used every last stitch of clothing I had on.

I started to feel hopeless again. I was out of luck and running out of time. I felt myself gasping for breath, unable to take in lung fulls of air because there wasn't very much left. I heard some strange beeping sound that seemed far away. At first, I thought it might be the Doctor. Again, I was wrong. It was some sort of warning system because suddenly the loud vacuuming suction sounds stopped and a mauve colored light flashed above my head. While I wasn't fully able to understand it at the time, apparently what I'd done was clog enough of the system to cause it to recognize that there was a problem, so it shut itself down for maintenance.

In the moment, all I could think about was that I was being deprived of oxygen in this air tight tank, and I didn't feel very good. I'd forgotten about my headache and instead started to feel the dizziness taking over me. I stayed, my hands and feet had small cuts and bruises on them from stuffing them into the suction tubes, but the pain was nothing compared to the lightheaded feeling that was overtaking me.

I saw a blur of blonds and their faces overhead and heard them speaking. I couldn't make out what they were saying. I probably could have, had my body not been focusing all of its energy on keeping me from losing consciousness. A few seconds later, a sliding sound could be heard and the blur to the faces cleared a bit. They had removed the top casing that kept the tub, or tank, well it was more of a tank now that I think about it, air tight.

I scrunched my face up while trying to make out the faces above me, but was far more away of the rush of sudden air into the tank. I gasped it in and breathed in deeply, happily accepting the new wash of oxygen flowing around me.

A man spoke up. "You have delayed the process. This will only cause you more pain." He stated this so matter-of-factly, he may as well have been talking about the weather. How could these supposedly peaceful people be so flippant about life, death, and pain? I really do chalk it up to their lack of feeling any sort of real depth to anything. The Doctor seemed to like these people, but I found their lack of deep emotions to be at least as dangerous and far more frightening than someone who is down right angry and violent.

"You..." I gasped the words out as quickly as I could manage. "Are...Doing...It..Wrong!" I declared, sitting up as the dizziness was passing. Getting the ability to breathe back, changed things really quickly. My body was starting to function properly and I slowly pulled my feet and hands from the suction holes, but left my shoes in a couple of them as I sat up. "If you want...Protection..." My gasps were becoming less and less as I was able to fully breathe finally. "And defense, you need to learn stuff. You need to grow and learn as a people." While I found my words particularly profound, they were either lost on these people, or they didn't care.

One of them reached in to remove my shoes from the suction tubes. As the others seemed to have backed off and they didn't apparently, see me as trying to escape, because I guess they wouldn't try to escape and didn't think I'd use this as an opportunity...I took it. I scurried over to the opposite side of the tank and quickly climbed out, falling over onto the floor with a groan. I saw feet heading toward me and I crawled as quickly as I could, in the other direction. I saw a doorway and I needed to get to it. I didn't look to see how close they were to grabbing me. I didn't feel prepared yet to run, but I had to. I was still a bit lightheaded and dizzy. But I forced myself to my feet and took off at as full a speed as my body was capable of. I found my way out of the building and kept running.

Reasoning, be damned. Helping them, be damned too. I was out for saving myself. And I can't say that I'm sorry about that. Survival instincts can be immensely strong.

"But you are needed." The voice behind me didn't matter to me at all now. I needed out of here. I needed gone. I needed the TARDIS. I'd run into it and hide away until it or the Doctor chose to take me home. Either way, I was getting the hell out of here. I could hear them coming for me, and I knew I wasn't running very fast. I couldn't. Yes, oxygen is good and my body was recovering quickly, but having lack of for a bit had drained me. The entire day had drained me. I was staggering. "We _have _learned. We have learned we need you." The older woman's voice could be heard, amongst some man's asking me to stop, and saying something about my displeasing them by my lack of honour. Honour? Again, I say, be damned! They can keep their honour and shove it!

I didn't know or care about much of anything except getting myself home now.

I felt a hand grasping my arm from behind and looked back to see one of the stronger young blond men getting a grip on me. I twisted myself and wrenched free. I threw myself forward in a desperate attempt to escape them. I could have outrun them earlier, but my reserves were running low. I really couldn't handle much more. Not only emotionally and mentally, but I'd physically been pushed nearly beyond my limit. Sometimes being strong enough to save yourself, isn't really fully enough to help you. I know that doesn't sound like it makes sense, but think about it. If you save yourself from a traumatic situation, you still have to deal with the after effects. If you've used up your internal resources to escape the trauma, you may need help in handling the aftermath. I was only just strong enough, you know?

"Please." The word came out in a quiet whimper from my own lips. My feet and hands were stinging, my head felt all 'buzzy', my lungs burned, and my muscles were trembling from fatigue. "Stop." I couldn't even find the energy to say this with anything more than a whisper. In my efforts to escape them, I stumbled forward and landed in the dirt on my hands and knees.

In front of two converse clad feet.

_The Doctor!_

More thrilled to see him than ever before, if that is even possible at this point, I didn't even care why he'd abandoned me. I was just too relieved! I looked up at him pathetically. "Doc-" His name died on my lips at the look in his eyes. The_ fury._

He was glaring down at me so hatefully, that the earlier look that had made me shiver, was barely memorable. This look was darker, newer. The rage of a Time Lord ready to rain down upon me. For failing him. For failing these people. It had to be. He'd been relying on me to put right what I had wronged, and I failed. I not only hadn't been able to talk them out of their insane plans, but I hadn't been strong enough, selfless enough, to let them use me in Bubba's place.

I could only stare up at him, wide eyed, frozen in place at that look. Everything stopped.

Then he said it.

"How _dare_ you?" The words were hurled so violently as he glared down at me, that he may as well have slapped me with each one of them. That look. Those words. The Doctor hated me. Learning the Doctor actually existed and then having him hate me was too much. I wanted to die. I'm ashamed to say it, but its true. I wanted to just not_ be _anymore...

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**Yes, I know. I _am_ that evil. You know you love me anyway. Or maybe you don't, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	14. Lessons Learned

**Thanks goes to everyone who has been so patient with me on finishing this story. Thank you to all who have given me feedback, reviews, suggestions and most of all, for your encouragement. I struggled with how to write this chapter and found myself re-writing it several times, never quite finding myself happy with it. But I'm feeling better about this one and hope you all enjoy it and enjoyed this story. One more chapter to go and it will be up tomorrow. I made certain to finish it along with this one so that I don't leave you all hanging endlessly again.**

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I didn't think it was possible to be so grief-stricken that the ability to cry would even be lost. But there it was. Me and my dry eyes, staring up at the Doctor and silently praying for him to end me. To just destroy whatever was left of me because I couldn't take it anymore. I would have rather been placed in that suspended animation than cope with the Doctor hating me.

He tore his eyes from mine and although I remained on the ground, my knees and hands digging into the golden sands, I turned my head to follow his line of vision. The blond aliens who were right behind me. They stopped short at his look. That fury of his was enough to stop cold, anyone with even the slightest bit of common sense and self preservation instincts within them.

Before I could form a thought, much less speak, the words poured from the Doctor like a fountain. Not in that funny yammering way we all adore, but with a fire behind them that could only be recognized as threatening. "Emily is trying to help you, and this is how you accept her offer? By taking her against her will, forcing her to fight for her freedom, and then chasing her down while she injures herself trying to escape you?" I don't think the blonds knew to feel shame, but a couple of them started to look worried, at least.

The Doctor went on talking. He bent down and scanned me with the sonic. His hand gently reached out to touch a cut on my hand, and then pat my hand affectionately. Assuring himself that I was okay, he straightened back up. "You look at these new things that can hurt you, and at us, new people to you, who invariably know far more than you do on the topic of self defense, you see we are offering to help you learn to protect yourselves. Do you think, we might give them a listen? No, you think - let's ignore their knowledge and turn them into idols of worship so we can go back to our old ways and pretend there aren't hundreds of thousands of things out in the Universe waiting to threaten us in all new ways! Well, you were given a chance, and this is what you've done with it. I thought, they're a gentle, wise people, they can be reasoned with. They can learn. And learn you have, but all the wrong things." He flung that last sentence out as if he couldn't wait to get rid of it. He spoke with a clenched jaw, and as his words tumbled out, it slowly dawned on me.

The Doctor didn't hate me!

That hateful rage in his eyes wasn't directed at _me_. The darkness I felt and saw from him, was his outrage at seeing my current conditions and probably the panic-stricken look on my face. I'd misjudged it as being hate aimed right at me. Instead of being thrown at me, it was being thrown _for_ me. That was a new and different feeling. Of all the things that I'd been through so far, this was the one that hadn't happened and I had long since stopped expecting it to. Even after having been strangled and having marks on my neck, he hadn't seemed the least bit concerned about my well being. So, why should I have any reason to think he would react any differently to this? Especially after I was responsible for a good bit of this mess! I really thought he would be more interested in why I tried to escape them and sympathize with them while chastising me.

But I couldn't think that anymore. Not when he looked like a man possessed as he charged past me and toward them. A few of them took tentative steps back at his sudden aggressive approach.

Did relief wash over me? Not remotely. But, I did feel a lot less like vomiting and a lot more hope. I didn't feel miraculously saved or protected. I knew people could die while right by the Doctor's side. But I did feel safer than I had in a while, and like I had something to actually cling to besides my own slipping sanity. The Doctor had always been on my side, it was just hard to see that sometimes. He is an alien and doesn't always express himself in ways that I can relate to, but that obviously didn't mean he hated me in any way, shape or form.

The Doctor tends to defend the one or ones he feels needs it the most in the moment. Normally, we see him as just sort of stepping back and letting people be who they are, occasionally softly saying no they really shouldn't do this or that, but rarely getting so enraged over their choices as he had with me and now with the blonds. Again, at the time, I really couldn't quite work out _why_, but now I think I really do understand.

The gentle approach is how he tries to let people know that something is wrong without actually deciding things for them. He is a time traveler and he knows better than anyone, how important it is to be careful when messing with time lines and potential futures. It has to be painful for him to watch someone make choices he knows will lead them down dangerous paths, but he can only let himself interfere to a certain degree. I think that was why he hadn't wanted me to approach them with anger. They were at the precipice of major changes in their lives, and those changes could easily be shifted in horrendous directions by the slightest misstep of an outsider at this point. He hadn't wanted me to interfere with their choices in a negative way.

The angry approach from him comes when he sees something really can be and_ should _be changed. I shouldn't have even been on this planet and that I was. That meant he did actually feel responsible for me on two very important and direct points. He felt responsible for my influence on this world and its' people, hence the anger at me. And he felt responsible for this world and its' people influences on me. Which explains the anger at them. He knew some influence wasn't a bad thing, but certain influences were dangerous, bad, and plain wrong.

My having tried to confront the blonds aggressively hadn't been a good approach and I could have set off a chain reaction in them that might have been devastating not only to me, but to them. They were new to all of this violence and enemy stuff and who knew what might happen or how they might handle it all. I get that now. I was starting to get it then, too, but slowly.

Don't worry, I'm not so vein as to think that this was all about me either. I knew he was angry that they had so much potential and he could see them throwing it away. That probably got to him more than anything. He wanted them to learn to protect themselves and be aware, while still being themselves, but they weren't wanting to truly learn from these new things and that was what likely had him the most peeved in that moment. Still, it was a comfort to know he wouldn't just sit back and let them hurt me.

I started to struggle to my feet. He ran back over to helped me up, making sure I was steady before letting go and pointing at the elderly woman who apparently was some sort of queen. "You have the ability here to protect your people. You only have to listen."

The woman hesitated. She murmured to one of the younger men standing near her, and he whispered something back. She slowly stepped forward and nodded to the Doctor. "We will hear what you have to say about taking what rightly belongs to us. Once you've explained yourself, then I shall hear what you have to say about...Those other matters."

Taking what rightly belonged to them? Were they talking about me? I looked at her, and then at the Doctor, confused by the fact that he was suddenly looking very sheepish. "Doctor?" He was scratching the side of his head with the sonic and looked up toward the sky. "Well. You weren't listening to reason, the lot of you. I thought while Emily had her chat with you, I should let Bubba have his freedom. He owes you nothing. I didn't take anything. He doesn't belong to you." His look dared any one of them to challenge that statement. Nobody did. "And I didn't expect for you to drag Emily off kicking and screaming while I was gone." He scolded the crowd lightly, but there was no mistaking that he wasn't happy with their actions in the least little bit.

I was suddenly uninterested in their welfare, though. "You freed Bubba?" I whirled around, peering at where he'd been suspended. He was gone, which was a good thing! "Where is he?" I asked, almost forgetting for a whole second that I'd nearly killed him. Then the gut wrenching guilt returned and I fought with my inner turmoil while still wanting to make sure he was okay. Even if he hated me.

He turned briefly to me. "We've got people to teach, Emily. There's time enough for that. I sent him on a bit of a mission. Well, he volunteered for it. Well, I say volunteer, I mean chose the mission himself." He turned to address the crowd again. "Sometimes bad things do happen and you do need to protect yourselves. You should always think of the good things and live for them and not worry about what's around the corner. But that doesn't mean you stick your heads in the sand and ignore what you need to do. Strangers should not be allowed to wander into your homes. You need to make those door plates work only for everyone here and no one else. You have the technology to do that on your own. Emily? Give them some more ideas on how to keep safe." He encouraged.

My feet stung with cuts, but I realized that was minor and not something to complain about. I dug my toes into the golden sand, my mind still on Bubba. "Uh, you need better lighting. Use bright lights over the streets at night so you can see where everyone is safely." I was careful with my words. Instead of saying use lights so you can see the bad things and people who might be lurking there, I tried to put a positive spin on it and yes, I felt proud of myself for that. I was oddly detached from any sort of anger at them. I was worn out and worried. But I went on for their benefits and because the Doctor was still looking at me expectantly. "Uh and some of you can have new jobs!" This perked the crowd up a bit. "That's right, some of you can be official guards, making sure you keep watch over your town and that everyone remains safe." The Doctor started babbling on then about guard duties, but I wasn't paying attention.

Something caught my eye. The Graske again. I wanted to kick him. Hard. But he was already being nudged forward against his will by a large creature none other than Bubba!

"Stop it! Get your wet nose away from my backside, beast!" The Graske was indignant as Bubba gently, but firmly, pushed him towards us. The Doctor didn't even look back, but I knew he knew they were there. So that was the mission Bubba had gone on? He must have spotted the Graske and went after him.

I felt powerfully mixed emotions just then. Fear, anxiety, joy, relief, guilt, all of it.

The Graske was caught, not that I cared. He stumbled over beside the Doctor and mumbled,"Happy now?" to which the Doctor ignored him.

My eyes were on Bubba the entire time. He looked healthy. He wasn't injured. They really had healed his side, but there was a scar remaining. A jagged, ugly scar on his side and it felt like a similar scar was tattooed onto my heart. I flinched at seeing it. And as Bubba came closer, I evaded his gaze, fearful of it being accusing. As he seemed healthy and okay, I was ready to not deal with anything more about him.

Except that he was heading right towards me.

I stared hard at the ground even as his shadow came closer. I didn't even notice that the Doctor had gone off with the crowd to show them a few pointers, leaving me to deal with Bubba. He had grabbed the Graske and made him go along with him.

Bubba made a soft whining noise. One that almost sounded like pain and it made me look quickly look up at him. He was standing right in front of me. His eyes were round, soft, pleading. "Hi." I said in a quiet voice. "Bubba...I...I'm so sorry." I was about to go on but he pressed forward, nudging my hand with his muzzle. His way of telling me he forgave me. I fell to my knees, too weak still to bend down, and threw my arms around his fat neck. I buried my face against his soft neon fur and cried into it, repeating over and over,"I'm so, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it!"

He made sympathetic whimpering sounds until I calmed and let go of him. The most unbelievable thing to me was that his eyes held no anger or hatred towards me. He was full of pure understanding. I gave him a smile because he deserved one. "You're a hero. You're brave, Bubba. You saved me and you saved the boy. I admire you." I pet his head, making him close his eyes briefly at the feel of it. He seemed unscathed by all he'd been through.

"He seems to admire you, too." I started. The Doctor was behind us, the Graske grumbling beside him about the 'dumb green beast'.

"No. He can't. I didn't do anything but cause problems and hurt him." I protested, staring up and over at the Doctor. A knowing smile slid onto his lips. "Oh, but he does. He saw how brave you were. And how you tried to help the people and yourself when you weren't yourself. He isn't a beast." He tossed a quick glare at the Graske. "But he is intelligent and he doesn't belong here, which leads me to suspect." Another look at the Graske. "You have something to do with his presence here."

That idea upset me. Because the Graske is wicked and rotten and Bubba is good and sweet and kind. "How could he have anything to do with Bubba? He's gross and mean and a brat!"

"You're tall and pale and ugly!" The Graske shot back at me, ignoring the Doctor's accusation completely. I wasn't insulted. Somehow being called ugly didn't quite have a sting to it when it came from a creature who had mocked me while I was having the breath sucked out of my very lungs. I just made a face at him.

"These people, they lead by royalty. Kings, queens, princes, princesses. Humans sometimes do the same thing. Graskes don't have leaders, but what they do have is the ability to create living cells from their own bodily secretions-" That word was disgusting in and of itself. I made another face. "And produce entire living beings." He shrugged his shoulder towards Bubba, then looked back at the now fidgeting Graske. "You created him didn't you? You wanted him to help untie you and then you planned on using him to fight against us if we tried coming after you. That didn't work out so well for you, did it?" The now significant grin on the Doctor's face was contagious as understanding dawned on me.

It was disturbing and disgusting to think exactly how Bubba may have come into existence, but he was his own entity now. His own creature with his own thoughts and feelings, which was something the Graske hadn't counted on. I bet somehow Bubba did help free the Graske but he probably thought he was good then until he saw him misbehaving and decided he didn't like it.

I still couldn't help grinning too. "Thank you, Graske!" I waved at him cheerfully, just to annoy him. It worked. He groaned and stomped his foot. "You saved my life! If you hadn't made Bubba here, I'd be dead. And he also saved another life, and he's good and decent and everything you're not." I could tell with every word I spoke, the Graske wanted to fight me, but he couldn't do anything.

Serves him right!

And then the Doctor said something I had honestly forgotten completely about. "So, Emily. We saved this world from poisoned suns, we saved the suns from being trapped, we helped a people learn to start protecting themselves, and we made new friends. At least you did." He said, gesturing to Bubba again. The Doctor was still grinning. "I'd say that's enough for one day. Ready to go home?"

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_The Final Chapter is actually complete and I will put it up tomorrow._


	15. Saying Goodbye

**Again, thank you all for your patience and encouragement. I hope the route I've taken this story didn't disappoint, and that you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Happy reading and writing! I'm off to my next story or stories. I'm always starting several but never sure which I'll actually bother to publish.**

* * *

_Home._ Oh, wow, how I wanted to go home! I nodded vigorously but found I wasn't quite able to get myself up onto my feet this time. I really had warn myself out. Home seemed impossibly far away. It felt like years since I'd been there, even though it hadn't been very long at all. A day or two maybe? I wasn't even sure anymore. "But what about the Bubba? Are you taking him back to your Universe with the Graske?" I knew I couldn't take Bubba home with me. How could I possibly explain him? I wanted to though, believe me!

"No, I don't think he belongs there. I think...He may just have found a home here." He pointed and I looked back. I hadn't noticed that Bubba had moved away from me and was now in the center of a small group of children. The boy he had saved from me was petting him and Bubba nuzzled against the him. Maybe it was right. That he stay here and be a sort of guard for these people. They needed him. But...

"What if they hurt him? They don't seem to know what they're doing. They might do what they did before."

"Oh they won't do that again. While you and Bubba was reuniting, I was taking care to disable their suspended animation technology. I told them it will work again when they're capable of understanding the consequences of using it. That or they learn to rebuild that technology. But I had a talking to that queen of theirs. Don't you worry about Bubba. He is respected and admired here. He will be well cared for."

I was still struggling to get to my feet again, but I fell back down to the ground. The Doctor sighed and looked at the Graske. "Get in the TARDIS. And if you try to make any detours I'll just send good old Bubba to fetch you." The Graske stormed off, hollering foreign words I couldn't understand, but would have bet money on them being swear words.

The Doctor came over and knelt down in front of me. "You pushed yourself, didn't you?"

I managed to lift my upper body up, but my feet still wouldn't move. "Well it was that or suffocate to death. I chose life." The Doctor beamed and engulfed me in a giant hug. I hugged him back, albeit weakly, my muscles sore and overused would be putting it mildly. He kept his arms around me as he pulled me up to my feet. "Emily," And for some reason, I got it into my head that he was going to ask me to become a full time companion. Ah, but alas, such things never seem to be. "Let's get you home." What a let down! Except that I can't really call it a let down when I've been given such a gift as this adventure with the Doctor!

I had to lean against him just to keep upright. I looked back at Bubba. Bubba stopped what he was doing and peered over at me. I smiled at him, this time genuinely. I was going to miss Bubba. He was the only part of this world I would truly miss. I waved at him. He merely watched me a moment, then turned back to the kids who were playing around him, and petting him.

"Let's go." I instructed the Doctor, who lead me back to the TARDIS. I slipped into a chair and was too excited about the prospect of going home to be too sad about Bubba just then. Later on I felt it more so. I grieved at not getting to see him ever again. I still miss him. But it doesn't feel too bad because I do know he is safe and happy.

I rubbed my eyes as the Doctor banged on the console, hitting switches and knobs and dials with as much excitement as he ever had. Where the heck does he get the energy? He didn't look like a man who had just been through what we'd just been through. He looked...Refreshed.

"Thank you, Doctor." I spoke up softly. Tiredness does that to you.

"What for?" He asked, not looking at me.

"For all of this. For showing me there really is more out here, for showing me this whole other world and creatures and amazing things I can never even explain, and just...Everything." I got another knowing look from him. I didn't quite grasp the look at the time, but it was one of the million things that I have since come to understand. He knew that all I had gone through had changed me. I'd matured and learned lessons I needed to know and that many never get the chance to discover. I had him to thank for that, as well.

I closed my eyes for just the briefest of moments and the next thing I knew, the Doctor was gently shaking me. "Emily? We're here."

"Here?" I questioned, sitting up and stretching.

"Home. Your home. Your world, and in fact the exact street we ran into each other on." He looked at me with that 'okay now you're supposed to be impressed by this' look so I smiled and gave him my best 'I really am impressed' look.

I stood up, feeling still very sore but at least able to stand on my own. "I don't know how you do this every day, Doctor. I feel like I could sleep a week!"

"Oh, don't do that. Sleeping a week would be missing too much!" He was smiling. "You should go home and sleep tonight though. You need the rest, Emily."

I hobbled toward the door, but turned back to him. "Will I ever see you again?"

"It would be my honor to meet you again, Emily Davis." That wasn't exactly an answer, but I really wasn't expecting one. The odds of me ever seeing him again were very slim. This much I knew. I limped to him and gave him one last hug. "Don't forget me."

"How could I ever do that?" He hugged me back warmly before letting go. I was smiling, both elated at being home and sad at leaving the Doctor. This magical journey had come to it's end and I didn't want it to. Not really. But I knew there was nothing I could do. I couldn't exactly stay and beg to go with him. I missed my family and I'd barely made it through one trip with him. I couldn't realistically handle much more. He knew it. I knew it. The Graske knew it as he glared at me from where he was tied once more to the stairs. Without Bubba around to guard him, he could slip off before the Doctor could return him to where he belonged so we felt keeping him tied up was the wise thing to do.

I stuck my tongue out at the Graske. "Behave!" I told him, mimicking something the Doctor might say. Then I finally was at the door, opening it, looking back. I soaked in everything I saw. The TARDIS and it's dark interiors, somehow comforting and cold at the same time. The Graske so alien to me and angry, and obnoxious, but still something I wouldn't want to forget. And the Doctor. His jacket slung over a chair, his hands now in his pockets, he was grinning brightly at me. I knew he was a lonely man and I hoped I had helped ease some of that for just a little bit of time at least. This whole experienced changed me.

"Oh, and Doctor? A little spoiler for you," Now don't you dare say I stole that line from River! This was before River Song was ever even in the picture! Before anyone had ever said 'spoilers' so I was clueless at this time.

He looked curious, intrigued even. I thought about those pictures of Catherine Tate and the announcements that she would be returning as the Doctor's companion, Donna, in the next series. "You won't be alone for too much longer now. You've got a friend and they'll be traveling with you soon. And try not to be too jealous of your friend's hair." She was ginger, after all. But I kept that bit of information to myself for fear of giving too much away.

The Doctor blinked at me, clearly baffled by this statement, which made me grin at him.

He grinned back, but then his face fell into a more serious look. "Emily." The door was open and my hand was on it, my foot ready to step out. I watched him wearily. "Yes?"

"Do remember what I told them, applies to you and your world too. Monsters may exist only in your television set as far as your world is concerned, but there really are many threats out here and one day, they may just find their way to your world. Much like the Graske did, and I did." And again, it felt more like he knew. Like he knew something was, indeed, going to come and that he needed us to be prepared. Would he be here when we needed him if they did ever burst into our version of reality? I feared to ask, and so I didn't.

The look on his face told me he was saddened by something. It was in his eyes as well. I just wasn't sure what it was. Maybe the loss of a friend. If he even considers me that. Maybe it was something he knew about our world that I didn't. If he did, for whatever reasons, he didn't tell me and I had to accept that.

I nodded. "I can't promise I'll know what to do or if it happens..." When it happens? "I'll be ready, Doctor. You be careful."

"And you." He bobbed his head toward me.

I gave a final wave and glance around before stepping outside into the warm sun. I closed the door without looking back. Because, truth? I feared if I looked back inside, I wouldn't have the ability to leave again. As sore as I was, and as much as I so badly needed to go home and hug my parents and shock my brother with a hug of his own, and then crawl into bed, it was hard letting go of the Doctor.

The terror, the horror, the shocking things I went through. Nearly dying, nearly killing, watching the Doctor in action, finding out my own strengths and weaknesses, all of it, had profoundly changed me.

As I stepped away, still limping slightly from aching feet and legs, I heard the all too familiar whir of the TARDIS and didn't dare look back. I didn't want to see it fade away. I wanted to remember it solid and in place. I kept on walking.

Is this the end of my story? Well, it is very nearly the end of what I'll share with you. My story is really just beginning. All of our stories are. Each day is what we make of it. Each moment is equally important and I've learned to try and make them each count.

I can't say that there aren't plenty of times when I fail to do this. Not very many of us can live with the constant passion and energy that the Doctor has. There are days I do nothing more than mope about, but there are days when I do some rather spectacular things, even if I do say so myself. Just stopping to help an elderly woman reach something off a low or high shelf in a grocery store reminds me of something the Doctor would highly approve of doing. I wouldn't doubt he'd stop to do that even if he were running for his life. The man has some mixed up priorities, but, then you have to think...Does he really?

There is one more thing I have to tell you. One more thing left to share.

That third thing I should have remembered before ever stepping into that blue box with him.

Sometimes, or most times, the Doctor gets it slightly wrong.

Oh, his philosophies are strong and true. His heroism should be admired and revered. His intelligence is frighteningly sharp. His wit, equally so. But, you know, I gotta say...His piloting skills suck.

Off he went and I headed home, but I couldn't go home. The one place I wanted to be more than anywhere else. Do you know why I couldn't go there? Because the Doctor, yep, as I said, he got it_ wrong_. Of course he did. Only I didn't realize it until I was standing in front of my house, staring at myself...

There I was, in a dark blouse and jeans and my hair all neat and tidy. I reached up to feel my own head. My hair was a ratty mess now. But there I was, over there, standing in front of the front door, my back to me, my head hanging inside the house and I could hear myself arguing with my brother.

_What? _

Freaked out, I ducked behind a large tree and strained to listen to what I was saying. It was me. I know myself. It wasn't some clone or anything was it? Had the Doctor's warning of things possibly yet to come, actually been true and already starting? Invasion of the body snatchers? What was this?

Then I heard what I was saying. That other me. I was yelling at my brother, which is very normal for me, about taking my dvds without asking and getting louder about the fact that he'd scratched my favorite one up! Wait a minute. This was too eerie. This argument too familiar.

I knew it. I remembered it. Because I'd had that fight with him three weeks ago! Three weeks ago? The Doctor was supposed to return me to the same place, and he did that. But the time? Think Rose Tyler. I suppose I should be glad that he didn't bring me even a day too late, much less a year. Or I would have been left on my own to figure out how to explain to my parents where I'd been all that time. And I wouldn't have any explanation they would ever believe, understand or accept!

But, still, being three weeks too early for my own life was an experience I wasn't prepared for either. You try it some time, it isn't easy! Especially when you'd been through everything I'd already been through. I was still missing my shoes and socks. I'd forgotten about them. I didn't have much money on me, and I had really no place to go.

So, thanks to the Doctor's brilliant lack of piloting skills, I spent the next three weeks hiding out in an abandoned shack of a place with a few homeless people. I have to say, they were kind to me though. A woman shared a blanket she had and a man showed me where the food bank was where we were able to get free meals. Don't think yourself above homelessness or better than homeless people. They aren't all bums with drinking problems, despite what TV tries to tell you.

Spending three weeks there was really miserable and I'd rather not go into the details of that experience. But the pain and suffering I saw others go through put my own into perspective. The day and time after I was sure the other me had discovered the Graske and gone off with the Doctor, I left for home.

I wasn't about to walk right in through the front door. I looked a mess! My body had healed from my ordeal, I felt healthier and stronger again, but I had scars and hadn't been able to get a shower as often as I'd liked, much less wash my clothes by any conventional means. So I snuck in my own bedroom window. I threw off my disgusting clothes, grabbed some fresh ones and jumped in the shower. That was the first thing I did when I got home.

After I got cleaned up, I went to seek out my parents and hug them like they'd never been hugged before. I cried a little, without meaning to. Neither of them really understood. How could they? They questioned me, but I just told them I loved them and appreciated them was all. When I hugged my brother, he tried shoving me away, but I held on tight before letting him run off, shooting me a dirty look. But I just smiled brightly and shouted that I loved and adored him. I got me back for that later by breaking several more of my DVDs.

I never slept a more peaceful night's sleep than I did that first night back in my own bed. I slept about fourteen hours! It felt so amazing and soft and safe.

But the next thing I did...Well the next important thing I did, was to talk to my parents and to a couple of the teachers down at the school, about ways to help the homeless. Collecting canned goods and helping set up systems where it would be easier for them to find shelter and food was one of the ways I started to help.

I never would have considered bothering with something like that before. Or anything at all with helping others. I was too self absorbed and into my own selfish wants and needs. The Doctor helped to open my eyes. The world didn't revolve around me and I didn't want it to. I wanted to see it all. To help others and see the world and what it had to offer. I still do.

I didn't really notice the changes within myself as quickly as my family did though. They started treating me differently. I was acting differently, doing different things, even if they were only slight things, and they took notice. Even my brother stopped being such a little brat towards me. My parents looked at me with new respect. Would I have ever grown up enough to earn that had I not met the Doctor? I'll never know.

Will I ever see him again? I hope I do. I really do. But he has so many others he needs to help. So many other lives he can touch. It would be selfish of me to say I want to take him from that for even a few minutes, but I won't deny that I would eagerly consider another adventure with him if the opportunity ever arose. I still wouldn't want to be a full time companion though. I could never handle it.

The scars remind me that what I went through was real. The Doctor taught me that life itself is an adventure and that what is inside of me is more than I do give myself credit for. I think everyone is capable of so much more. We all are and the Doctor knows it.

So that is my story. Maybe, if you're lucky, or unlucky depending on how you look at it, you too, might find yourself bumping into the Doctor. If you do, be prepared for your life to never look or feel the same again. And tell him I said hi.


	16. Update

***Hello all! I'm glad so many of you enjoy this story. I really enjoyed writing it for you. I may one day write another story about the Doctor and Emily meeting again, though I'm currently working on far too many other things to do so.**

**BUT! Happily, a talented and funny writer out there - Julia - has started a sequel (With my approval**)**, to this story. Check it out at ~juliathatwritertypeperson**

**I've seen some of her work, and I have faith she'll do a fantastic job on this. :)**


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